Spring cleaning just got a lot easier

Not a fan of cleaning windows? Never mind the tedium of the chore; in Hong Kong’s predominantly high-rise city, cleaning your windows can be a veritable exercise in risking life and limb! Enter the Winbot, a clever new cleaning solution by Ecovacs Robotics that does all the hard work for you.

Winbot is a handy cleaning device that attaches to your windows via its smart suction fan. Apply the bot to your windows, set it to go and your windows will be clean in a matter of minutes, without you having to dangle precariously 20 storeys up. In addition to windows the Winbot is able to clean shower stalls, mirrors and any other smooth surface.

With built-in Pathfinder Navigation Technology, the Winbot is able to easily identify obstacles and ledges and manoeuver around them. In addition, the technology allows the bot to calculate the size and dimensions of the surface to be cleaned and selects the optimal path for cleaning in order to maximise efficiency and speed. All you need is to replace the microfibre cleaning pad before each clean, attach the unit and press start. It’s as easy as that! The Winbot is guaranteed to leave your windows and other smooth surfaces spotless, clean and streak-free. Even the outside of your windows can be cleaned in minutes, and thanks to the backup on-board battery, even if the power cord fails, the bot will retain its suction and ensure it does not plummet hazardously down the side of your building.

www.ecovacsrobotics.com

Smart Security: Keep your home under lock and key

When it comes to big city living, Hong Kong is one of the safest places to live. With that said, this does not mean our city is not without its share of crime. With a spate of high-profile home break-ins of late, “Gate” by San Francisco start-up Gate Labs is the ideal piece of home technology, designed to give you peace of mind when it comes to securing your home.

The all-in-one home lock solution features a keypad lock, a traditional deadbolt lock and a motion-activated camera so you can see who is at the door. Visitors are then able to press a call button to speak to you. Using the latest technology, Gate comes with a downloadable app that makes functionality extremely seamless, whether you are at home or not. The easy-to-use app can be set to notify you when there is someone at your front door (activated by the motion sensitive camera), or when someone presses the call button. Using the app, you are then able to talk to your visitors even if you are on the other side of the world and, should the need arise, you can lock and unlock the door remotely.

While some of these technologies on their own are not entirely new, this is the first time all of them have been incorporated into one integrated solution. It is entirely conceivable that sooner rather than later this will become the standard for home security solutions, with the question really being why didn’t anyone come up with this sooner?

www.getgate.com

Dior hosts party to celebrate collaboration with Sennheiser

Dior has teamed up with German audio manufacturer Sennheiser for a range of products designed by the French luxury group. The move is the first collaboration of this kind for Dior.

To celebrate the collaboration, a cocktail party was held at the Dior Landmark boutique. The event was attended by celebrities including Wyman Wong, Jocelyn Chan, Endy Chow and more.

The event also marked the unveiling of several products, such as Sennheiser’s HD800s headphones made from hand-sewn and printed leather, the HDVD 800 amplifier with Dior’s signature red scar code and many more.

Camera ready: Hasselblad releases new 4116 collection

Commemorating Swedish camera brand Hasselblad’s 75th birthday, the new 4116 collection features an innovative design and cutting-edge technology. The range includes several new products, now available for purchase, in celebration of the founding of the company in 1941. One of these, the X1D 4116, is something of a world-first, and marks the next stage for compact mirrorless medium format cameras.

Weighing just 725g, it comes with an XCD 45mm lens and leather hand strap. Another model, the V1D 4116, saw Hasselblad’s designers use a modular square format (75MP) to create a truly ground-breaking product.

www.hasselblad.com

This new monitoring system is the cat’s meow

It’s not always easy to say goodbye to that special furry friend when taking off on holiday or heading to the office for another day of toil. For many, pets are an extension of the family – a fact recognised by Petkit, the maker of “smart” gadgets for pets. The company recently unveiled the Mate Remote Monitor, allowing owners to check up on their four-legged companions from afar.

Equipped with a dual microphone and speaker, pet owners can check in at any time. The device rotates in a full circle, allowing the user to see their pets in 720p HD format. They can also take photos or record videos via the accompanying Petkit mobile application. One of the more creative features is a remote-controlled laser point, ensuring that playtime is never more than a click away. As any cat owner knows, chasing that elusive red dot is a favourite pastime among feisty felines.

The Mate Remote Monitor received an international Red Dot Design Award last year, a distinction bestowed upon only the most top-notch of products. The monitor comes in three styles: the Pro version, which has an aluminum alloy body, and two Edition versions in playful, colourful prints featuring cartoon cats or dogs.

www.petkit.com

Focal releases the world’s most extravagant pair of headphones

Music lovers no longer need worry that their plastic headphones might be ruining their aesthetic. From French hi-fi specialist Focal comes the world’s most extravagant pair of headphones – the Utopia by Tournaire.

Easily the priciest pair of ear cans currently on the market, the US$120,000 (HK$930,000) Utopia has been crafted in conjunction with master jewellers Maison Tournaire. The bespoke design, created by the father-son team of Philippe and Mathieu Tournaire, is based on the mark of the Trilogy, symbolising the three stages of life: past, present and future. These uber-cool earpieces feature 18-carat gold mounted with six carats worth of diamonds, all meticulously hand-crafted by the Tournaire jewellers.

While the price tag is nothing to scoff at, discerning listeners will not only be treating themselves to an exquisite pair of headphones but will also be contributing to a good cause. A portion of the profits from the sales of the Utopia earpieces will go to the P’tit Louis Association, dedicated to saving eight-year-old Louis Biscini who suffers from rare spinal muscular dystrophy. The Utopia by Tournaire headphones were released September 2016 along with two other new Focal headphones – the Listen and the high-end Elear.

Give your pet the royal treatment

Hong Kongers in general treat their pets like royalty, whether it’s making the pampered animals wear little coats and shoes to buying the best food available, no matter the cost.

For pet owners who want to spoil their beloved animal even more, we have put together a list of innovative ideas that will take treating your pet like royalty to a whole new level.

Furbo

All loving owners wonder what their precious pets get up to when they are not around. Alas, thanks to the beauty of technology and the Furbo pet monitor, you can keep an eye on your pet, literally. The Furbo also feeds your pet treats to ensure they are well-fed and not in a grumpy mood.

Click here for more information.

Petkit eversweet water dispenser

Concerned about whether your pet has enough water? Well, cast your worries aside as the eversweet water dispenser has your back.

Serving as an intelligent drinking fountain, the water dispenser, created by Petkit, is equipped with a light and level sensor and will filter and refill fresh water automatically. Now that’s the way for pets to drink water in style.

Click here for more information.

Petkit Fresh Metal

In addition to their revolutionary water dispenser, Petkit also take care of your pet’s weight.

Sometimes it’s hard to resist those puppy-dog eyes and we give them treats here and there, but with the smart antibacterial bowl, your pet will still get the food it loves, but stay healthy at the same time.

As a 2016 iF Design Award winner, the feeding bowl weighs exactly how much food your pet needs given their weight, breed and other vital information.

The bowl is also designed to keep unwanted guests like bacteria and bugs away.

Click here for more information.

Hit top Gear with Samsung’s new smartwatch

Last year, trusted tech brands such as Apple and Sony hoped their respective smart watches would woo consumers. Instead, they faced a widespread drop in wearable tech sales and speculation over whether smart watches were merely a passing fad. But with new products on the horizon, will 2017 be the year that buyers finally put their faith in intelligent wrist assistants? That remains to be seen, but Samsung has certainly made a convincing case with its newest release, the Gear S3.

The watch, equipped with a built-in speaker, allows users to make or answer calls even if they’ve left their smart phones at home. Athletes may take interest in another incorporated feature, a GPS system. This provides the navigational guidance that many have come to rely on while rendering it wholly unnecessary to lug around a phone in a backpack or tummy-hugging exercise belt.

To answer calls, read messages and open apps, one merely has to turn the Gear S3’s bezel. The watch also includes an altimeter, barometer and speedometer, as well as a heart rate sensor. Perhaps the most impressive feature, though, is the fact that the battery lasts about four days, or so Samsung says.

For those who still want to keep their phone on hand, especially for lengthy calls that could be cumbersome on a watch, fear not – the device is compatible with smart phones that run on Android 4.4 and higher.

www.samsung.com

Weird and wonderful gadgets from the Consumer Electronics Show

The world’s biggest technology trade show, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), was held earlier this month in Las Vegas. CES is known to showcase some of the coolest, weirdest and downright impractical gadgets every year.

Here are 6 standout gadgets from this year’s show.

The Hair Coach

The first ever smart-hairbrush has been launched by Withings, a division of Nokia, and L’Oreal. The brush monitors your hair’s health with sensors that help you keep track and log information to a mobile app.

The Hair Coach features a microphone that detects your brushing techniques and sends this information to the mobile app, which then works out ways to help you keep your hair healthy. The sensors mentioned earlier can also detect if your hair is wet or dry and it has an accelerometer and a gyroscope.

LG Signature OLED W7

LG showed off its new “wallpaper” TV which is 2.57mm thin. LG calls the Signature OLED W7 a “picture on the wall.” The ridiculously thin 65-inch TV comes with 4K resolution, HDR, a Dolby Atmos sound bar, built in WiFi and four HDMI ports.

It also comes with a magnetic mounting system so you can hang it on the wall.

Hypersuit

The Hypersuit is a Virtual Reality simulator that allows you to explore universes and pretty much anywhere else imaginable from the comfort of your home.

Built by a Paris-based startup, Hypersuit is an exoskeleton that fully immerses you into VR. The VR simulator, which is completely controlled by arm movements, lets users fly, dive into the ocean and travel into space.

To make the Hypersuit work, users lie on a movable exoskeleton platform with a virtual reality headset on.

Hover Camera Passport

The easy to operate and small Hover Camera Passport captures 13-megapixel images and 4K video. Users control the Hover Camera through a smartphone app, and it tracks your movements based on the location of your phone, or using facial recognition.

To activate facial recognition, just look at the drone and once it recognises your face it will follow you until you tell it to stop.

And because the drone is so small and shaped like a box, it is easy to fold up and take with you anywhere.

Denso Vacuum Shoes

Made by a Japanese auto parts maker, these platform-type shoes will suck up any small items such as crumbs and dust that litter your apartment floor.

The platform shoe has a small vacuum in the sole and a pedal in the heel which starts the vacuum every time your foot hits the floor.

Kuri robot

Kuri is a small robot armed with a camera, speakers, a microphone and can transmit voice messages.

Developed by Mayfield, which is backed by Bosch, the 50-cm Kuri can carry out surveillance of your home when you’re away, recognise faces, play music and greet family members when they walk in the front door.

Kuri will also map out your home so it can move around freely without bumping into furniture.

Written by Andrew Scott