Awesome Tech

For better or for worse, Microsoft has decided to offer an Xbox One edition that doesn’t come with the Kinect. The edition is $100 cheaper than the full package, and has the same price as the PS4. RIP sign out prank.

Despite its tacky name, the iStick provides much needed storage for iOS device users. Its a USB drive with an integrated Lightning connector to transfer files directly to and from your device. Available in 8GB to 128GB variants.

Tado modernizes air conditioners. It works with any IR remote-controlled AC unit, letting you manage it from your mobile device. Using your phone’s GPS and Bluetooth capabilities, Tado can also automatically turn your AC on or off.

Engineers at the EPFL are working on a robot arm that can figure out how to catch objects on its own. Like humans, the robot learns through imitation and trial and error. Robot baseball is going to be short and boring.

A lighter designed to help smokers quit. Quitbit tracks your smoking habits, lets you set limits, shows how much money you’ve saved by cutting back and more. You can even turn off its heating coil for a set amount of time.

The AR.Drone 3.0 – check it at 1:00 – aka Bebop uses software stabilization instead of a gimbal for less weight. It has a 14mp camera, a removable battery, GPS, a range extender/joystick accessory and Oculus Rift support.

The Auto-Fit keyboard case has a spring-loaded mechanism that makes it compatible with a variety of Android tablets. Its battery lasts up to a year per charge. The 7″ version is already out, with 8″ and 10″ sizes to follow.

We all think we’re being sly when we snap secret photos with our phones but it’s more than likely others just politely ignore our bad manners. Peek-I is a tiny periscope-like attachment that allows you to take photos at a 90-degree angle.

Korner uses door and window trigger tags and connects to its fob via your router. When a tag detects an intrusion, the fob emits an alarm and also alerts you through a mobile app. Indiegogo supporters pay no annual subscription fee.

A bicycle that’s as tough as it is smart. The Valour has a carbon fiber frame and various built-in devices and sensors. It can alert you of objects in your blind spot, provide turn-by-turn navigation, track your biking habits and more.

One ring to rule all of your devices. Nod is a wearable Bluetooth gesture sensing device. It lets you control desktop computers, mobile devices and even smart appliances. It’s also waterproof and lasts up to a day per charge.

If you’re wondering if the much-anticipated Coin electronic payment card is as easy to use as it looks in its commercial, see for yourself. Coin CEO and co-founder Kanishk Parashar demonstrates how the card works.

A wearable smartphone designed for children. Tinitell lets kids call and answer calls simply by pressing its large button and saying the name of the person they want to call. It also has a GPS module so its wearer can be tracked.

Following up on their giant round of Jenga, Caterpillar shows off the durability of their rugged Cat B15 smartphone by first dropping them in a vat of water, then running over 600 of them with a 4.6-ton multi-terrain loader.

The pages of The Drinkable Book contains tips on proper sanitation & hygiene, but more importantly, they’re function as water filters. Each book can provide clean water for up to four years and costs just pennies to make.

The Nomad 883 is a compact and user-friendly CNC mill. It lets you engrave, cut and carve wood, brass, aluminum, plastics and more. It plugs into computers via USB and can be controlled on-the-fly or use 3D files as templates.

We’ve teamed up with Gear Diary to give away this awesome prize pack worth $900+: a booq Boa Nerve Messenger Bag, a Braven 855S speaker, V-Moda Crossfade M100 headphones and a PowerPot portable generator! (Ends 5/19)

Hugh Herr and his colleagues at MIT’s Biomechatronics group develop artificial limbs that complete or augment the human body. His presentation is amazing, but if you’re short on time skip to 13:40. Really, watch the whole thing.

The Sony SRS-X9 is a high-end compact wireless speaker. It connects via NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and also has Ethernet, USB and 3.5mm inputs. It has 4 tweeters, 2 mid drivers and a subwoofer, and has a total output of 154W.

CleverPet helps entertain your dog even when you’re not around. It employs lights and durable rubber touch pads to give your pet increasingly complex puzzles to solve, and automatically rewards them with a treat.

This fun iOS app makes creating music easy and fun. It combines a digital sample looper, effects processor, and can even simulate three-part vocal harmonies from just one voice. Record and share tracks in a jiffy too. More here.

Lechal makes Bluetooth-enabled shoes and insoles with GPS and fitness tracking capabilities. They guide you to the right direction by vibrating. Together with a mobile app, they also let you save destinations and share your location.

This tiny sensor is like a Tricorder in real life. It will identify the composition of foods, plants and objects by scanning their molecular fingerprint, checking an online database, then displaying their chemical makeup on your mobile device.