The Best In Tech This Month
Tickling the Ivories
The late, great American pianist, Liberace once said that ‘Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself’. As any budding musician would know, self-confidence is key, but they also have to have the right tools to pull off the job. In 1980, Japanese consumer company, Casio, released its first portable tool in the form of a keyboard. It was affordable, transportable and innovative and cemented the brand as a leader in an entire generation of budding musicians. Recently released into the market, the CT-S200 is a redefining of that original model. The new Casiotone comes as CT-S300 models and LK-S250 models. Each includes a power-supply and music rest, Dance Music Mode (perfect for DJ’s) where the user can remix their sound and twist it into an EDM track. USB ports can connect the keyboard to any Mac/PC/iOS and other devices with no driver ports needed. With this latest release keyboard, there’s a lot of things to play home about.
Note This Down
Samsung has fast become the go-to brand for mobile phone buyers. Early last month, they announced their latest Galaxy Note10, a new range of premium smartphones. Samsung announced that there’ll be two different types to this phone – the standard 6.3-inch Galaxy Note 10 and the 6.8-inch Note 10+. So what’s to be expected from these two new phones? A blaze of new technicolour, with its beastly screen with its many AMOLED’s. Expect a bigger battery too, a first-class chip-set and a hell of a lot of ram with the Note 10+ obviously having a bit more. There is a slight down-side that may get users feeling a bit uncomfortable, however. The headphone jacks in both phones are, undoubtedly, missing. Could this be Samsung’s attempt at a fully wireless future?
Be In The Dome
The magic of the outdoors is challenging, rugged and unexpected. For campers, especially in New Zealand, they never know whether to expect clear skies or a storm, so packing the essentials can oftentimes be challenging. Released in Japan, Korea and the US, a new dome-like tent has arrived as a perfect accompaniment for a camper. Called the Geodome 4 Tent, the triangulated design is reminiscent of the 1975 concept by American architect, Buckminster Fuller, who futurized a signature dome design. The tent is set with five main poles and one equator pole to withstand this roomy tent. It is made from a special type of water-resistant material that can withstand all types of weather, including 96 kilometre winds. The tent also includes five mesh windows, and flaps that can open and act as vents on hot summer days.
Lifting The Barrier
One of the biggest barriers we have as a species is our languages. There are roughly 6,500 different ones around the world. In late May, NYC start-up, Waverly Labs, introduced a ground-breaking interpretation device to bridge that gap, called the Ambassador. Admittedly, it doesn’t contain those 6,500 languages I mentioned before, but it does articulately contain up to 20 languages and 42 dialects that can be deciphered in three different modes. The gadget is designed as an over-the-ear pod that has comfortable wearing. The first mode is the Listen mode where the Ambassador provides fast interpretations from a distance of 2.5 metres away. The second mode – the Lecture mode – provides a broadcast of foreign words in a group setting and the third is Converse mode. The Converse mode allows users to have two way communication by creating a partnership with their smartphones. In this mode, the users can talk in their natural languages to one another easily. The Ambassador is available for preorder on Indiegogo for AUS$99. The products will be made available in November for $149.