The world of robot vacuums has come a long way, but Roborock’s latest offering, the Saros Z70, is taking some steps into next-generation technology that is setting up what we will see in the future of fully autonomous home cleaning. With cutting-edge tech, sleek design, and a series of impressive upgrades, this device aims to solve the common pain points of robotic cleaning.

First Impressions: Clean Design, Smart Features

Right out of the box, the Saros Z70 has a sleek and minimalist design. If you have any experience with robot vacuums, you will immediately realize that the Z70 is missing the “top hat” which lowers its height to just over 3 inches (7.98 cm).

It’s not just about looks — Roborock has crammed lots of power and upgrades into this compact design. Equipped with an incredible 22.000 Pa of suction, the Z70 has an upgraded dual anti-tangle system to handle long hair (human and pet alike) and a big change to the mopping system that has a pair of rotating mops that detach automatically when the robot starts any vacuum-only tasks or carpet cleaning, then returns to the dock to reconnect with them for mopping hardwood, tile, etc.

Like other recent Roborock models, the docking station does much more than charge and empty the dust bin. Both the mops and the dock itself are washed automatically with 176ºF (80ºC) hot water, removing 99.99% of bacteria and preventing the dirty mop smell. One of my favorite smart features is that the mop recognizes when the floor has been particularly dirty, returns to the dock to wash the mop then goes back to repeat the mopping (no more sticky kitchen floors).

Substantial improvements to the already amazing Roborock navigation system uses the onboard LiDAR to map your home and then avoid obstacles on-the-fly. Add this to the area-by-area control through the Roborock app, there is also analysis of environment and cleaning history to boost suction and water volume for areas that need extra attention.

An improved FlexiArm technology allows the side arms for both the brush and mop to extend outward from the body of the Z70 when it recognizes a corner, edge or furniture that it would not be able to reach… getting into those nooks and crannies to clean, not leaving the little dirty spots that are so common with robot vacuums.

The AdaptiLift Chassis: A Smart System for Different Surfaces

The first new innovative feature to the Z70 is the AdaptiLift Chassis, a suspension system designed to elevate the vacuum automatically. This allows the robot to adjust its height depending on the surface it’s cleaning, ensuring optimal suction power across a wide range of floor types.

For example, on thick carpets, the chassis can raise the vacuum’s brush and motor, enabling the Saros Z70 to maintain maximum suction without getting stuck. Conversely, when it moves onto hard surfaces like tile or wood floors, the chassis lowers to maintain close contact, ensuring the cleaning process is as efficient as possible.

In our testing of the Z70, the AdaptiLift Chassis is the real superpower, giving the Z70 the ability to do something I have never seen before – climb over door saddles without any ramp, suddenly allowing the robot to enter most bathrooms to clean. It is not quite able to climb stairs but this is a tangible advancement in the development of robot vacuums that makes a truly valuable improvement.

The OmniGrip Foldable 5-Axis Mechanical Arm

The most obvious addition to the Saros Z70 is the OmniGrip Foldable 5-Axis Mechanical Arm that extends from a hidden compartment on the top of the vacuum to pick up objects that are in the way of normal cleaning. No longer will your robot vacuum work around a random sock that was left on the floor, instead it will be picked up and placed in a designated spot to be collected later, then circling back to clean. The mechanical arm can also move objects blocking the way of the robot to allow it to pass and continue its work.

The artificial intelligence will identify items and sort them to different locations that the user specifies: socks can be placed in the laundry hamper while sandals are moved to the entry rug and crumpled papers into a trash bin.

We tested the Saros Z70 and found that the function of the mechanical arm was more intriguing than functional. The idea holds incredible promise, and, like any new technology, there needs to be someone who brings it to market first… often in a form that is understood to need further development – this is very much one of those cases. During our tests, the arm was most often successful with finding a sock on the floor and moving it to the hamper, although it occasionally misidentified the sock and worked around it instead. Further, we had a few instances where the arm picked up a sneaker, something that should have been too heavy, and then was too off balance to continue. Roborock has confirmed that their product team is continuing the development of the AI to recognize more items more accurately and improve the function of the robot arm itself.

Conclusion: Worth the Investment?

For tech enthusiasts and busy parents alike, the Roborock Saros Z70 is a no-brainer. Its smart navigation, powerful suction, dual cleaning capabilities, AdaptiLift Chassis and substantially lower profile elevate it well beyond other robotic vacuums on the market. The ability to seamlessly transition between different floor types and the extra precision afforded by the arm system makes the Z70 incredibly efficient and thorough.

The Roborock Saros Z70 (Amazon Affiliate Link) is on the pricier side for a robot vacuum, but considering its features, precision, and ability to clean every corner of your home with ease, it’s an investment that pays off in spades. Whether you’re tackling pet hair, dust, or just the day-to-day mess of a busy household, the Z70 is truly in a class of its own, setting a new standard for robotic cleaning. If you’re looking to take the next step in smart home technology, this vacuum is definitely worth considering.

Everyone knows the kid with the coolest room in the dorm has a leg up and setting up our child’s place this year needed to be extra special, so we added a Matrix light curtain from Twinkly. Featuring precise LED positioning for fluid-effect graphics, Matrix redefines ambient lighting by creating a canvas for limitless possibilities in any setting.

The Matrix isn’t just a curtain of light-emitting diodes… it is fully mappable and customizable light display with the highest density of ultra-vibrant, high-speed LEDs that plays unlimited effects and animations controlled with the dedicated app. You might think that setup would be difficult since the LEDs need to be precisely spaced to accurately map the effects… to ensure that the LEDs are perfectly spaced, the curtain has lightweight bars on each end and includes a mounting kit for a perfectly aligned and tangle-free setup.

If your child (or you, we don’t judge) is a gamer, the Matrix light curtain can screen mirror from Windows PCs, including gaming integrations to create immersive and reactive live experiences. It can fully integrate with the Homey app, Razer Chroma RGB, and OMEN Light Studio for an incredible gaming experience.

The Matrix light curtain is a part of the Twinkly ecosystem if you want to go even bigger. Two or more Matrix curtains can be connected or linked with other Twinkly lights for larger, dynamic HD effects and fluid animations. When paired with Twinkly Music, the Matrix can synchronize and dance to sounds in real time, offering a unique and astounding effect. The Matrix is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home for seamless voice control.

Matrix light curtains are available from Amazon in two sizes: the 1.6 x 7.9ft model with 500 mappable LEDs that we’ve shown in the images above and a 3.3 x 3.3ft square model with 480 mappable LEDs (Amazon affiliate links). The rest of the Twinkly family is available there as well, including a new string of 750 RGB LED lights and others for both indoor and outdoor installation.

About two and a half years ago, we told you about an automated bartending machine, the Bartesian (Bartesian Brings Mixology Home, GeekDad, April 30, 2020). Now, that same technology is being used in a new machine that improves on the original. The bev by Black+Decker Cocktail Maker Machine automatically creates cocktails with your own choices of five liquors: gin, vodka, tequila, rum, and whiskey (improving on the four liquor bottles that required decanting from the previously reviewed machine). Designed to fit most standard 750ml liquor bottles, the bev also features LEDs under each bottle for an amazing appearance, enabling consumers to prominently display the liquor being served when friends visit—even with a “Party Mode” for an LED show that illuminates the bottles with a light show.

Much like the Bartesian machine, creating cocktails with the bev is very much like using a pod-based, single-cup coffee machine. The process for crafting a cocktail is basically a single button press: insert a cocktail capsule and the system sets the recipe, dial in the desired strength (ranging from mocktail to strong), and press “Mix”… then the bev takes over, drawing and blending the appropriate spirit(s) with the capsule ingredients and dispensing a delicious cocktail in seconds. Once the cocktail is finished, the improved auto-clean cycle runs to ensure the next cocktail tastes the way it should, not like a mix of the previous drink.

The bev by Black+Decker uses the same capsules (which contain a concentrated mix of all the mixers, including real juices, bitters, and extracts) as the previously reviewed Bartesian machine with an ever-growing selection of choices, many of which have been added since our original post. Currently, the catalog of Bartesian drink capsules includes more than forty (40!) different cocktails, including Old Fashioned, Margarita, Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitan (regular or low-cal), Martinis (Gin, Espresso, or Matcha—your choice), Manhattan, Paper Plane (still a favorite aperitivo), Spiced Coffee, and more. The mixologists at Bartesian are constantly updating the list with new additions and seasonal favorites. You can review the entire catalog, including any “coming soon” capsules that have been announced at bartesian.com/collections/cocktails.

One more thing, since our 2020 review a whole collection of Bartesian-related accessories has been released, including racks to hold the cocktail capsules, leather-bound cocktail menus (you know your home bar needs them), and specialty glasses for all those great drink choices.

We were sent a bev review unit and a collection of cocktail capsules for the purpose of this review; all opinions are, of course, our own. You can get your own party started by ordering a bev cocktail machine of your own on Amazon by clicking here (affiliate link).

As the father of two teenage girls (one high school and one college), I worry about their safety when they are on their own. I know that they have been raised well and have good heads on their shoulders, but sometimes even the most cautious people find themselves in situations beyond their immediate control. Now that they are traveling on their own to/from school and extracurricular activities, and *gasp* dates, providing each of them with a Flare bracelet gives them the power to get out of dangerous situations and get help if they need it (and gives me a little peace of mind).

The first step is to connect the Flare bracelet to the app on your smartphone, set your preferences, and create a list of emergency contacts. Once set up, there are two subtle actions that trigger a Flare’s features if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, both triggered with the small button on the side of the Flare bracelet. Hold down the small button on your bracelet to send your friends your GPS location so they can check on you. You can also include a simultaneous alert to a trained agent who can send 911 to your location—this free and optional feature can be turned on or off anytime. The second option is to tap the button once to trigger a fake call to your phone so you have an excuse to leave—this particular feature has been used several times already during our in-person testing when “this creepy dude was trying to talk to me” on public transit.

Let’s be honest, though, you can provide the tool for safety, but if it is sitting in a drawer at home, that defeats any effect. Flare has more than taken care of that with three different styles of bracelets (cuffs, leather bracelets, or beaded bracelets), each with a selection of materials and finishes.

I like my Flare’s design because it is chic and sleek; many of my friends have commented how pretty my bracelet is. It makes me feel safer while not drawing attention to itself.
— honest quote from a 14-year-old user 

The other big concern I had was making sure that the device was charged and available when they needed it while still looking like jewelry. Apparently, the designers had the same thoughts and found that the solution would be to make the batteries in Flare bracelets non-rechargeable, instead featuring a smaller battery that lasts for a year and not requiring the extra hardware needed to recharge a battery. Users are notified automatically (by email and text) when the battery is nearing empty so they can replace their bracelets. This ensures that the bracelet is always prepared no matter what. The kids are always grabbing their Flare as they walk out the door—not the time to realize the battery is low. Right now, Flare is still exploring refurbishment/recycling options for used Flare bracelets.

You can choose your Flare bracelet (or bracelets) and purchase directly at getflare.com. Please note that this is not an affiliate link, as I personally believe in the product and the company’s mission, I wanted all orders to benefit Flare directly.

All opinions in this review are completely that of the reviewer. Flare bracelets were provided for the purposes of the review.

Roborock has added to their catalog and changed the housekeeping game – the all-new Dyad is a single device that vacuums, washes, and dries floors to get rid of dirt and messes in big areas and tight corners.

Most recently, we caught up with the company during their visit to the annual electronics show in Las Vegas (we didn’t go to Nevada, hopefully next year) and shared information about the Roborock S7 robot — CES2021 Report: Roborock Cleans Up Again (GeekDad, January 13, 2021). The S7 robot vacuum features updated ultrasonic carpet recognition technology that automatically lifts the mop when carpets are detected, allowing uninterrupted cleaning session for that includes hard floors and carpet, with no interaction from a human to attach mopping modules. The Dyad was also announced at CES and is now available for purchase.

The new Dyad has a few incredible features from the engineers at Roborock – the most impressive is the “DyadPower” that utilizes two independent motors to power three rollers, one in the front and two in the rear, that lets the cleaning system to rotate in opposite directions. This counter-intuitive combination allows Dyad to lift both wet and dry messes in one sweep. The famous Roborock intelligence is also showcased in the Dyad as it automatically detects tough stains as it finds them and increases water flow and suction power for better cleaning results.

We set out to tackle some unresolved pain points in the wet-dry vacuum space like poor edge cleaning, weak pick-up and maneuverability issues, and we achieved that and more with Roborock Dyad. Featuring our proprietary technology, DyadPower, Dyad is the only dual roller motor, multi-roller wet and dry vacuum that cleans edge-to-edge to eliminate messes in one sweep. This multi-use product has the capability to remove everything from dirty water to encrusted dirt seamlessly in a single cleaning session.”
— Richard Chang, CEO of Roborock

Dyad’s mopping mode suctions into a 620 ml dirty water tank while simultaneously releasing fresh water onto the floor and working its rollers to actively remove dirt. This means that the bowl of milk and cereal that crashed to the floor is picked up in one pass.

Despite being battery-operated, cleanup with the Dyad is not limited by power either – a high-capacity 5000 mAh battery claims up to 35 minutes of cleaning and up to 3056 sq.ft. Battery status is reported on a LED screen that also lets you know if there is any area that has a build-up of dirt, and a voice-alert system that tells you when the water tank or battery level is low.

Real-world review:

We were sent a Roborock Dyad for the purposes of this review (of course, all opinions are our own). A big improvement over many other vacuums we have used, the head of the Dyad twists 180-degrees to navigate into tight spaces and around furniture (even in tightly-packed New York City living quarters). The two rear rollers stretch from edge-to-edge on that pivoting head, allowing the Dyad to clean with full power along edges and all the way flush to walls – getting all the dirt in the crevices that other vacuums normally cannot reach.

A favorite feature that pushed the Roborock Dyad way ahead of the competitors we have tested is the much larger dirty water tank and the on-screen alerts that the tank was getting full — something that was consistently forgotten with the other similar devices that have been used. Above and beyond all the great features, we never even got our hands dirty because the rollers clean themselves automatically.

You can purchase the Dyad today on Amazon (in the United States) — click here to purchase (direct Amazon Affiliate link) and take advantage of a launch discount coupon of $50, bringing the cost to only $399.99. All the details of the Dyad (and the entire catalog of Roborock devices) can be found at us.roborock.com.

Since GeekDad first reviewed an Amber smart storage device in 2019 (and even gave away five of them the year before that), we were intrigued by the idea of an all-in-one system for file storage, back-up, syncing, and sharing (Gadget Bits: Amber Wants To Be Your Home Storage, Back-up, Router, and File Sharing Solution, GeekDad, September 9, 2019, Ken Denmead).

The second-generation device, named the Amber X, is everything that the original device was in a substantially smaller, lighter design.

Google Photos meets Dropbox with a little sprinkle of AppleTV.
— Pantas Sutardja, Founder & CEO, LatticeWork

Setup of the Amber X is even easier than before through a Bluetooth connection to the new Amber iX smartphone app, which will let you use the built-in 500GB drive immediately and also help you connect any external storage for keeping all your important files. There is also a desktop version of the app that will allow you to access one or more Amber devices either through your network or the internet as if they were connected locally. The software has four major features:

• Auto-Camera Roll Backup: The Amber iX mobile app can automatically back up your camera roll –you never need to worry again about losing memories if you phone is lost or stolen… or you run out of storage.
• File Sharing: Both the mobile and desktop apps allow you to easily share files with optional permission settings.
• Multi-User Support: Amber X supports multiple user accounts, so you can have private folders for each user in addition to shared “family” folders.
• Auto-Organize: a new feature of the software is automatic organization of your photos (and videos soon) using special on-device artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology. Now searching for specific memories, moments and special places is that much easier.

The tremendous benefit of the Amber platform is much more than just network-accessible storage. Data stored on the Amber device never needs to be hosted on a public cloud, so there are no required monthly subscriptions. Users connect their Amber device to a “personal hybrid cloud” through the AmberCloud system which then allows all files to be accessed from anyware.

Let’s talk double-redundancy: when discussing backups it is often said that there should be three copies: the original, one on-site and a third stored somewhere remote… this way all but the most far-reaching disasters will be unable to affect all copies. If your Amber unit is your backup drive and it was damaged or stolen, Amber has plans to offer complete cloud-based and encrypted backups. Restoring the data would be as simple as applying the encryption key to a new Amber X where the recovery data would be decrypted locally, allowing you to maintain full privacy and control of the data.

All opinions in this review are completely that of the reviewer; an Amber X unit was provided for purposes of the review.

Special Discount for you!

Since GeekDad and GeekMom readers have been part of the Amber journey from the beginning, the they have been incredibly generous and provided a 20% discount! The discount is valid through December 29, 2021.

Order your Amber X from Amazon by clicking here (direct affiliate link) and add the discount/coupon code 20RWGDAD (the discount will be applied at checkout).

The Modula5 charging system from RapidX is made of separate Qi-enabled pods that attach side-to-side with a simple magnetic connection. Android devices, iPhones, and AirPods can charge on the standard flat pods, and special pods have been created to allow you to charge an Apple Watch (of any generation). A single cable (provided) supplies power to the entire series of up to five pods or up to seven (7!) if you upgrade to a 65W power adapter. Swapping the standard adapter for this one will allow users to charge up to seven devices with a single cable. Connect pods to power up a maximum of five phones and two Apple Watches (or other low-powered Qi devices).

Breaking Modula5 news for GeekDad readers: Not only can you expect an updated pod with a MagSafe charger for Apple devices, we just heard that new colors for the pods are in development for release in the future.

GeekDad Review

We were sent a collection of Modula5 pods to test for purposes of this review (all opinions are, of course, our own). As a household charging device, the Modula5 is second to none, due to the flexibility that you have in picking the purpose and number of pads. At first, we had a full bank of five pods to charge devices overnight for me, my wife, and our son, plus an Apple Watch for both me and my wife.

Then we moved two of the pods (for an iPhone and an Apple Watch) to my bedside, and I added the remaining pods to our suitcase for use when we go on our upcoming college tours for our oldest… the single power source is especially important in hotel rooms where outlets are at a premium! Bottom line? The flexibility of the Modula5 system is its greatest strength, not to mention the ability to choose both the type and number of devices that each user needs along with the option of changing that selection as you wish.

The entire Modula5 system is available on Amazon: Direct Link to the Modula5 Store (Affiliate Link)

Fans of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter will be excited to visit the newly opened Harry Potter New York flagship store starting on July 15, 2021 for two amazing virtual reality (VR) experiences. Exclusive to the New York location (not even duplicated at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida), the adventures were created by WarnerMedia in partnership with the creative teams at Wevr and Keylight and VR industry leaders Dreamscape Immersive, the two adventures feature totally new and unique experiences. Both put fans into an immersive world filled with landmarks from the series and featuring treasured characters.

I was invited for an early visit to the store to experience both the experiences for myself – and, while I will absolutely not spoil even the smallest part of the storyline, I can share a few tidbits with you.

Both experiences start with selecting an avatar wearing your house colors that will represent you within the virtual reality world and donning cutting edge wearable VR technology, including headsets, backpacks, hand and foot trackers, and peripheral wands that allow interaction with the virtual experiences. Thanks to these multiple body-mounted trackers, the sensory effects and immersive virtual environment deliver a level of realism and body-matching unlike anything experienced before.

The first experience, “Chaos at Hogwarts”, starts with you and up to five others arriving at King’s Cross station for a trip to Hogwarts Castle. This adventure is particularly amazing as users move freely around a completely virtual environment because all the hardware is body-mounted and can see the avatars of the rest of the group moving around them in the same space.

“Wizards Take Flight” allows up to six users to mount their brooms for a ride around the grounds of Hogwarts – again, completely under your control. If you want to sweep past the Whomping Willow or race through the Quidditch pitch, the choice is yours. But be aware, you never know when the magical can bring unexpected results.

One more little insight that will help make your virtual reality experience at Harry Potter New York even more exciting: you will be equipped with your own VR wand and keeping a few rehearsed spells in mind will help… my favorites:

• “Riddikulus” will take something scary and turns it into something silly.
• For defense, “Petrificus Totalus” is a full-body binding curse
• Why carry a muggle flashlight when “Lumos” will illuminate the tip of your wand?
• “Crucio” will cause excruciating pain (yeah, it is an “unforgivable curse”, but you never know when you might need it).
• And, of course, “Confundo” will confuses a person or bewitch an object that you target.

Tickets with a reserved time slot are required for both the VR experiences and may be purchased for $34 each at www.harrypotterstore.com/tickets. New tickets will be released regularly on the site and booking early is highly recommended to secure a ticket for your preferred time slot and to ensure that you and your group can all experience Harry Potter VR together. Regular visitors to the store need to register in a virtual queue, but guests who have purchased VR experience do not need to and may proceed to the front of the line when they arrive at the store.

In addition to the incredible virtual reality experiences, Harry Potter New York is, of course, a massive 21,000 sq. ft store in the heart of New York City’s Flatiron district dedicated to all things from the Wizarding World – cloaks, scarves, and all manner of products from the different houses at Hogwarts are available along with a tremendous selection of wands (both those original to the store and others directly based on those used by characters in the stories). Also available are a collection of the snacks that Harry Potter introduced us to, brought to life for your enjoyment – I brought home a chocolate frog (complete with wizarding trading card), a large box of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans… but the run-away favorite for me was the Butterbeer pub at the where you can indulge in a draft of the sweet drink yourself.

Visit Harry Potter New York at 935 Broadway in New York City, with entrances on both Broadway and Fifth Avenue. The store is open from 10am-9pm Mon through Sat and 11am-7pm on Sundays. You can visit www.harrypotterstore.com for the most up-to-date information regarding ticket sales, arrival instructions, and health and safety protocols.

The Future Starts Now

In January 2021, Sun and Thunder was launched by Rony Abovitz, based on his vision for a future where artificial intelligence (AI) is much more than a developing idea, but one with potential that is nearly entirely untapped and unexplored. The new company is currently in an early incubation phase where the development of a next, next, next-generation AI will someday evolve into entities that can stand on their own.

Many know Rony for his roles as a technology pioneer, inventor, and visionary—perhaps most notably for being the founder of Magic Leap (whose virtual reality technology superimposes 3D computer-generated imagery over real-world objects). His expert-level proficiency in AI, computer graphics/visualization, sensing, advanced systems, media/animation, spatial audio, and spatial computing/XR have laid the foundation for this new venture.

What Does He See in the Future?

We were incredibly fortunate to have a conversation with Rony to learn about what role he sees Sun and Thunder fulfilling, where he draws inspiration, and the new projects’ future.

GeekDad: So, in your own words, tell me what is Sun and Thunder?

Rony Abovitz: It is not trying to be “The Oasis” from Ready Player One… what I am trying to do is kind of like a cousin to that. My view of Sun and Thunder is a set of interconnected story worlds, I’ll start there. It’s not coming from a video game thread. I go back to what I think of as the mythopoeia thread… I think about what Tolkien and CS Lewis were trying to do, which is build a world, not a game that really seems to exist that has like dimensionality to it. And they were trying to add dimensionality and culture and methods to something just using words.

So, I think there’s going to be alternate forms of reverse-type things, what I call a “story-world” because what I like is the thing you get from a book or from a film or from a great album is not the thing I get from a game. I get something else from the game. What would you get from a movie, an incredibly well-done movie? You get a kind of much more emotional, almost spiritual reaction.

And I don’t want a non-player character thing running around, I’m talking about going to the real place. And what I mean by going to the real place, I think of all that AI deep learning the top GPUs, the sort of craziest things that are going on today—stretch those 10 or 15 years. That’s about a third of what I think makes up a synthetic being. There are two other important pieces of tech: one is super-primal but beginning to happen, and we’ll help build that and the other one isn’t happening right now. And that’s where Sun and Thunder will be investing time and probably designing and building silicon. We’re sort of in that place right now… I think what’s also interesting is we’re attacking the wholeness of the being, not an intellect in a box that could do massive math, and it’s this nameless, faceless thing, but actually, a being that could think and feel and exist and it does stuff without you. So, I think there’s a lot of converging things happening in computing and synthetic biology. But there are very large unopened problems to solve there. And that’s one of the things: attacking that problem is super exciting. To me, it’s also slightly scary.

And that’s where I need to feel incredibly comfortable; that what we’re building can be contained, I actually call the tech we’re building “T-Rex.” A term there to remind myself that we need to keep this thing in a pen and really understand what it could be, that T-Rex needs to be in the pen riding a hamster wheel and never let out. And only in this safe media, film, entertainment, music, art kind of environment. And maybe that’s the end of it, and people will be really happy with what we’re building, and it could be really cool and fun. And we’ve done amazingly strange stuff in computing and physics and some philosophical things we might be challenging. But that’s really leaving 99% of the upside value of the company on the table. I’m angel-funding the whole thing right now because I really want to have the ability to constrain the money if I don’t—if that makes any sense. We are entering an age over the next 10 to 15 years where a lot of insane stuff can happen; computing is reaching a point where it is surpassing us mid-decade, so between 2025 and 2029—we are evolved away. It’s gone past us, that’s already happening at certain points, but by the end of the decade, we are evolved away by our own creations. And I’d rather be friends with that and have that really be cool with us. Try to hug it and make it a good partner, learn how to build things together, and save the world together.

And that worries me because anytime you try to do something decent, someone else appears, by the Marvel or DC comic rules, there’s always the anti-matter villain that has to show off.

So, our company might have 150 really amazing creative technologists: brilliant, creative people. And then we might have like 50 million synthetic-being partners that we work with. So, what I think of is as this thing actually maps out, as you get to like what we’re really trying to do, you end up creating something which feels like an ecosystem, like a country that has its own economy. And it’s not a single product, an ecosystem of entire social and product creation engines and currencies. And it’s all building a multitude of “countries.”

Who Is Yellow Dove?

The first creator to launch out of the studios at Sun and Thunder will be Jako Vega, also known as Yellow Dove. They will be featured in the initial series of short film experiments this year that will be the start of an interconnected group of these story-worlds. As a musician (and the first artist signed to Sun and Thunder Records), Yellow Dove will co-create these projects and launch the universe of content from Sun and Thunder. But Yellow Dove has an incredible secret…

Rony continued:

So, day one: what are we doing right now? I’m working with two really cool groups in New Zealand: Pukeko Pictures (with President Clive Spink) and Weta Workshop, founded by Richard Taylor, who worked with me at Magic Leap and is an amazing multiple Academy Award winner. And we’re building a series of short, animated films which hopefully will become longer feature films than our first character.

Yellow Dove is a little manifestation of a tiny speck of that world on the very edge of that. He’s sort of like one of the minor… Shakespearean characters. We’re starting on the far edge with a minor character, and in the smallest possible space, and there’s a little window and you’re “What’s going on outside that window?” So, he’s our Pinocchio with strings and what we’re doing over time is we’ll cut his strings. And he will eventually turn into a co-writer, a co-producer, he will be acting and writing notes and filming things and become a full member of the team. Even in the very beginning, I would say, we’ll give him a little bit of credit like there’s a percentage of what’s going on that he has some contribution to, but he’s still very much Pinocchio with strings. And each cycle, it’s like cut more and more strings.

This company is based on going back to if you were hanging out with the Inklings in the ’30s and ’40s or if you’d been hanging out with Disney and the Nine Old Men and you were with them and then we’ve gotten to a time machine moved them to 2021. It’s an inspiration point for the company.

If Rony’s predictions for Sun and Thunder are correct, at some point in the future Yellow Dove will step off the screen as a character and start interacting with us, the public. Many will assume that it’s just a mechanical Turk, but then it will become clear that this time there is nobody hiding behind the curtain—this thing is passing the Turing test, and has fooled us all from way before we realized we were being fooled.

Bringing the Sun and Thunder

Inventing and imagining the future through story-worlds while creating a company of people and synthetic beings who work together to create and invent content that can amplify human intellect and creativity is an incredibly forward-looking endeavor. With the direction of a mind like Rony Abovitz, it is certainly achievable. When and where these developments will be realized remains to be seen, but Sun and Thunder’s roadmap can (with help from a nearly unlimited army of independent creatives that all live within the ones and zeros of a virtual world) give us a glimpse to how we might get there.

In 2019, we were introduced to a fantastic new game at the “Last Gadget Standing” event during CES and immediately became fans of DoodleMatic—you can read our post here: Game Creation is Doodlematic Gameplay (GeekDad, October 3, 2019). In the time since, that game has continued to expand on their library of game types, and lots of great games have been shared by creators! Recently, they rebranded and added even more awesome features—the updated game: Pixicade, is everything it was before and so much more!

Creators use specific colors to draw different items within the game (black for floor and walls, green for your avatar, blue for goals, red for hazards, and purple for movable items). Then use the application (available for both iOS and Android) to snap a photo and turn the drawing into a playable game! As creators of all ages develop games, they can make improvements to gameplay, which is as simple as tweaking the original drawing and re-scanning it or using the in-game editing tools. The editor tools also allow creators to add powerups and movement of game elements. Once a designer is happy with their game, it can be shared on social media for the world to enjoy.

As we said in our 2019 post, there are many excellent products that can teach the basics of coding to kids, and many of them lead into the creation of basic games. As great as these can be, there has been relatively little advancement over the years other than the inclusion of updated coding languages. Pixicade is the missing piece and teaches kids the theories of game design—how to make them fun, engaging, and perhaps even educational… not just functional. Pixicade encourages even more open-ended creativity for game design than its own predecessor.

The updated Pixicade lets creators develop games on a series of templates, including: Get the Goals (in the classic platformer-style), Maze Maker, Super Slingshot, Hole in One, Brick Breaker, and now even two-player games based on the Paddle Battle and Volley Versus templates.

Reinforcing our love of Pixicade, the game has been awarded several incredible honors, including: the 2021 Newsweek Best in Stem, 2019 Gold Award Recipient Mom’s Choice Awards, 2019 Tillywig Award Winner for Best Creative Fun, STEM.org authenticated product, and The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval.

Still not convinced of how open-ended the creativity can be with Pixicade? How about trying your hand at our very own GeekDad-themed game—just move your green astronaut avatar to collect all the blue goal items (game controllers, movies, and even a 20-sided die) while avoiding the red hazard items (evil robots).

We were sent a Pixicade Interactive Mobile Game Creating Starter Kit for the purposes of this review (all opinions are, of course, our own) and despite being two years older, the kids have held the tablet hostage as they create, play, critique, edit, and play again (and repeat) for days. You can purchase your own Pixicade Interactive Mobile Game Creating Starter Kit on Amazon.

One of the innovations unveiled at the 2021 CES (the world-wide expo formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show) is the Roborock S7 — an advanced robot vacuum that is designed to independently transition between contrasting surfaces and clean each one appropriately. The new S7 features a sonic mop (one of the fasted on the market) that will automatically lift when the vacuum reaches carpet for a powerful, seamless cleaning experience.

Just a year ago, we were introduced to Roborock at CES and we have reviewed several of their units during 2020 (and we all needed a little help keeping our homes clean this past year), including the S6 MaxV with ReactiveAI (High-Tech Roborock Housekeeping Robots, GeekDad, Michael Kaufman, April 29, 2020) and the recently updated S4 Max (Review: The Roborock S4 Max Vacuum Proves Good Things Come in Small Packages, GeekDad, Mordechai Luchins, November 8, 2020). These robot vacuums were equipped with cutting-edge technology that has been enhanced and incorporated into the new flagship S7.

Our goal with every Roborock product is convenience. The robot mopping process in the past has been arduous, needing customer time and input to set barriers or zones. The S7 completely transforms the mopping experience through surface recognition technology designed to automatically lift the mop element and avoid carpets, making mopping completely effortless while also delivering a deeper clean than ever before.
— Richard Chang, Chief Executive Officer of Roborock

Scrub It Clean

The biggest game-changing feature of the Roborock S7 is the ultrasonic carpet recognition technology that automatically lifts the mop when carpets are detected. This innovation allows an uninterrupted cleaning session for that includes hard floors and carpet, with no interaction from a human to attach mopping modules… and the mop also lifts as the S7 returns to dock, ensuring just-cleaned floors remain clean.

The mop is also one of the fastest sonic mops available – rather than just spraying water and wiping floors, the Roborock S7 can actively scrub floors with varying intensity (between 1,650 and 3,000 times/min), breaking up both surface dirt and dried-on messes before wiping them clean and vacuuming the debris.

Powered for Performance

The Roborock S7 features the same strong 2500Pa of suction and extra-large 5200mAh battery that made the S6 MaxV such a powerhouse. With an upgraded main brush, the S7 will hug the ground better for more effective agitation of any dirt embedded in carpets, maximizing strong suction to effortlessly lift dirt and debris from deep within.

Connected Clean

Roborock’s robot vacuums are managed through an app (available on both iOS and Android), that allows control over every aspect of the cleaning experience. With an easy-to-navigate interface, the app provides consumers the ability to manage cleaning schedules and customize preferences. Smart mapping features in the app provide real-time reports on the robot’s exact route during each clean, providing insight into the areas mopped and vacuumed. New features in the app will allow the S7 to respond to voice commands through Alexa, Google Home and Siri.

You can learn about the new Roborock S7 by visiting us.roborock.com, all the other robot vacuums in the line-up are there too. The S7 is expected to be available in the United States through Amazon on March 24 for $649.

The Sunsa Wand is the easiest and most affordable way to automate and turn your blinds smart in under 2 minutes. Save time, energy, and money by automating your blinds. Added bonus: their marketing team has created a promotional video that is hilarious.

Simply replace the wand on current blinds with the Sunsa Wand and users will have automated, motorized smart blinds that can tilt your blinds open and close.

What Is The Sunsa Wand?

Sunsa Wand is a device that can automate, motorize and make any blinds smart. Adding window blinds to a smart home is a great way to operate hard to reach blinds, especially for those who need help with accessibility.

The Sunsa Wand has launched their crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, there are some awesome perks still available for backers. Click here for the Sunsa Wand campaign on Indiegogo.

New to Indiegogo? Check out our crowdfunding primer.

Sunsa Wand: What’s in the Box?

Sunsa Wand Includes the following parts/pieces:

1 Sunsa Wand
3 Adapters and 3 Tips that will make sure the Sunsa Wand works with horizontal blinds, vertical blinds or mini blinds.

How to Use Sunsa Wand

Setup

The Sunsa Wand claims a two minute installation. Simply replace the existing wand on your blinds with the Sunsa Wand and attach the adapter to keep the wand in place. Then setup the wands through the Sunsa Wand app and connect to Wifi — no extra hub is required. Sunsa Wand has multiple power options: four AA Batteries, a wall plug, or even a solar adapter so no batteries are ever required.

Use

The Sunsa Wand will operate through a dedicated app or voice control through Amazon Echo (Google Assistant, IFTTT, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, and others are on the roadmap for development soon). Of course, users can still use the wand by hand to manually open or close the blinds.

Output

The Sunsa Wand will allow users to keep their existing blinds, and control them from anywhere through their phone. The application will allow users to create schedules to automatically open and close your blinds or groups of blinds set by the user. An integrated sensor within the wand will measure room temperature and open/close the blinds at a temperature users specify to save on energy bills and help maintain an ideal temperature. A light sensor is also built-in to detect light coming through the window, and open/close based on user’s preference.

Why You Should Get Sunsa Wand

Adding existing blinds to a smart home has been difficult, with only a few solutions available, and none that could operate a wand-based mechanism… until the Sunsa Wand. Any users, like myself, who have been searching in vain will be thrilled that a solution has been found.

Disclosure: GeekDad is expecting a sample of this item for review purposes.

While social isolation is in place, the online happy hour has become a common occurrence… unfortunately, most of us don’t have the mixologist skillset. Enter Bartesian – a home cocktail making machine that uses your liquor of choice with specialized cocktail capsules to make a growing number of drinks. The elegant design, seamless function, and intuitive interface have garnered the Bartesian a 2020 CES Innovation Award, a spot in Oprah’s Favorite Things Holiday Gift List, and the Good Housekeeping 2020 Best Innovation title.

Drinks are selected by choosing from the catalog of cocktail capsules that contain all the mixers, including real juices, bitters, and extracts. Currently the catalog of Bartesian drink capsules includes more than a dozen different cocktails, including: Old Fashioned, Margarita, Long Island Iced Tea, Cosmopolitan, Sex on the Beach, Rum Breeze, Gin Martini, Negroni, Mint Julep (still allowed even though this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for September), Manhattan, Paper Plane (my new favorite aperitivo), Spiced Coffee, and more. The mixologists at Bartesian are constantly searching for the next offerings and we have been told that there are more than fifteen coming soon, including capsules for Mai Tai, Lemon Drop, Low-Cal Cosmopolitan and Whiskey Sour, and a Matcha Martini. The entire catalog, including any “coming soon” capsules that have been announced can be found on the Bartesian website at bartesian.com/collections/cocktails.

Getting cocktails from Bartesian is very much like using a pod-based, single-cup coffee machine. Initial preparation of the system is simple: users fill the four glass spirit bottles with vodka, tequila, bourbon and gin/rum (which share the same holder, so the bottle needs to be swapped if the recipe calls for it). The process for crafting a cocktail is basically a single button press: insert a cocktail capsule and the system sets the recipe, then asks users to select the desired strength from an on-screen menu (ranging from mocktail to strong). Bartesian then takes over, drawing and blending the appropriate spirit(s) with the capsule ingredients and dispensing a delicious cocktail in seconds. Once the cocktail is finished, Bartesian’s auto-clean cycle runs to ensure the next cocktail is as premium tasting as the last.

We were sent a Bartesian review unit and a collection of cocktail capsules for the purpose of this review; all opinions are, of course, our own. Our first hesitation was the potential of waste that we have with any pod-based drink system (coffee, cocktail or otherwise), and we were thrilled to find that Bartesian capsules are made with 100% recyclable materials.

The Bartesian unit was simple to setup, and once I got over the trepidation of pouring most of a bottle of tequila into the dispenser, we were ready to cocktail. We started with a margarita, because it takes a lot of effort to make a really bad margarita… Bartesian did not make a bad margarita, in fact it was very good, so good that my wife appropriated most of the testing sample. The second cocktail was an Old Fashioned (I really enjoy a good one, and I happened to have a jar of cherries in the refrigerator), which I shared with a group of other bloggers while on a Zoom happy hour. The drink was very nice, and the others on the call were very, very jealous (which made the drink taste even better). The only thing missing from the Bartesian is a cocktail shaker and strainer (you will need one for some of the drinks) and you will also want a few cocktail glasses of different styles because you’re serving up real drinks, you should put them in the appropriate glass.

Your own Bartesian premium cocktail machine is available for you now on Amazon (affiliate link) and, before you ask, it is not delayed by COVID-19, so you can get your own bartender working from your place within days.

While at CES in Las Vegas earlier this year (back when we could actually meet in groups… sigh), we met with the team from Roborock and were impressed by some of the innovations they were developing in high-powered, robotic vacuums for the home consumer.

We have been testing review units of two of their latest models and have come away even more impressed now that we have first-hand experience.

Disclaimer: review units were provided by Lewis PR for purposes of this review; all opinions are, of course, our own.

H6 Handheld Vacuum

At CES, Roborock launched a new product: their first handheld vacuum solution, the Roborock H6. Building on their experience in building powerful robot vacuums, the H6 combines outstanding battery technology with a compact, lightweight vacuum with impressive suction power, and it was designed with a collection of interchangeable heads for use in every-day use.

We invested a lot of time developing our first-ever handheld vacuum solution, in fact we’ve been carefully planning this for close to three years. With the H6, we wanted a product that addressed constraints still existing in the handheld vacuum space – weight and battery life in particular. It is our goal to empower users by offering the best, most effective and comprehensive cleaning solutions possible, whether it’s a robot vacuum or a handheld solution.
— Simon Wan, Roborock Co-Founder and Vice President

The lightweight body (only 3 pounds) of the H6 makes it easy to clean everything from ceilings to shelves, and it can easily transition outside the home to clean car interiors. The included collection of accessories includes a floor brush, carpet brush, dusting brush, motorized mini-brush crevice tool, and flex tube, all of which are stored in the wall-mountable charging dock.

The transparent dustbin allows users to see when it is getting full and is easily removed and washed. An OLED screen on the H6 display information including power mode, charge and run-time remaining, maintenance reminders, and more.

A 420W motor in the vacuum drives a multi-layer impeller, creating up to 150AW of lossless suction, depending on which of the three power settings is being used. Combining that suction with a five-layer filtration system (including multiple cyclones, and washable front and rear HEPA filters) allows the H6 to captures up to 99.97% of particles, including pollen and dander.

The H6 is the first cordless stick vacuum to be equipped with a LiPo battery – enabling a run-time of 90 minutes in eco-mode or 10 minutes in max power mode.

The Roborock H6 will be available at a suggested retail price of $449 on Monday, May 18, 2020, through Amazon.com.

S6 MaxV Robot Vacuum

Announced today (April 29th, 2020), the upgraded S6 MaxV is a major upgrade in the Roborock S6 series of robotic vacuums. Adding a pair of cameras to the existing laser-navigation technology in the S6 series, the MaxV has an obstacle avoidance system; an incredibly powerful system powered by a Qualcomm APQ8053 (edited to updated processor) processor chip that utilizes a Convolutional Neural Network for image processing. The stereo cameras combined with the ReactiveAI system allow the S6 MaxV to avoid a range of common robot trapping obstacles (like pet waste, shoes, scales, etc.) by capturing detailed images.

The S6 MaxV boasts an extra-large 5200mAh battery; claiming up to 3 hours of cleaning in quiet mode. A The special Smart Top-Up feature prompts the robot to recharge just enough to complete a large clean if needed. The mopping function is just as robust, with a large water tank and removable mop cloth bracket. The mop cloth, as well as the internal filters, are washable — and the app will remind you when it is time to do so. Another innovation is multi-floor mapping software that allows the S6 MaxV to automatically recognize different levels of a home.

The Roborock S6 MaxV will be available at a suggested retail price of $749 in Q2 of 2020 through Amazon.com.

First-Person Review

While we have had the Roborock H6 handheld vacuum, it has essentially replaced both our large upright vacuum and our small dustbuster-style handheld vacuum.

Our original concern of running out of battery power mid-cleaning has been proven unfounded, especially as the H6 automatically shifts between the low- and high-energy power settings as it senses different floor types. The light weight of the H6 has also opened up a whole new range of locations that are getting cleaned also (especially as the kids figure out they can do it themselves) – the cobwebs that collect on popcorn ceilings have been removed and all the crumbs left in the kids’ chairs in the car have been removed (the stuff that the low power handheld could not get) are also all gone.

My parents are also fans of the H6, especially as they are alone while isolated at home right now, as they can move the light-weight vacuum between floors of their home – something they struggle to do with a full-size canister vacuum.

We have been extremely lucky to have very early access to the Roborock S6 MaxV robot vacuum to test and have been overwhelmed by the improvements over any similar device that we have tested.

The large traction wheels have the power to push over small edges – for example, the kids’ room has foam floor tiles and the S6 MaxV easily pushed up to clean the floor. The twin cameras did exactly what they were supposed to, identifying the shoes that my kids had left on the floor and cleaning around them.

Final word: the Roborock S6 MaxV is the robot vacuum that we have been waiting for, solving all the issues that we ever had with similar devices and even some that we didn’t know we had.

We have covered the portable CINEMOOD projector several times before, most recently last year (Cinemood2 Projector Shows Big-Screen Content for Kids and Grownups), and there has been a huge upgrade that may give anyone stuck in COVID-19 isolation a small taste of the outside world.

What’s the Same?

The CINEMOOD 360 still uses a soft lumes projector (very limited blue light, which protects users’ eyes and circadian rhythms) to project up to a 12-foot image in dark or dim environment. The form-factor remains the same as previous models: a super-compact 3-inch cube that only weighs a half-pound. It still has clear sound from a built-in 2.5W speaker and a noise-free cooling system, and most importantly… the battery life is still an impressive five (5!) hours.

The CINEMOOD 360 retains its predecessor’s compatibility with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube, and features iOS screen mirroring – so you can get all your streaming content in big screen format, no matter where you are (either inside or out, travelling or home). There is also a library of preloaded educational content, including stories and videos from Disney.

What’s New?

The game-changing update that makes the CINEMOOD 360 so special is the unique method that the projector displays virtual reality (VR) content. Instead of using a VR headset (like Google Cardboard, Oculus, or others), the content is sent outward with the user at the center of the image – allowing everyone to see the virtual world. This new interpretation of VR allows for a much more physical interaction with the virtual environment than most systems allow.

The CINEMOOD 360 comes preloaded with 360-degree educational games and videos, and many more are readily available for download. Users can search for and scare away phantoms with the included Ghost Hunt game or pursue the famous Om Nom character in a 360-degree video story of the same name. Using the 360-degree projections, entire rooms can be transformed for nearly limitless exploration, everywhere from national parks to outer space, by accessing 360-degree YouTube videos. Educational games are also brought into the VR environment, including the pre-loaded Uniword game, teaching young students to read as ABCs come to life on the walls and ceiling around them.

Of course, users can upload their own content to the CINEMOOD 360 to share 360-degree videos with an audience.
Hardware improvements in the CINEMOOD 360 includes technology that allows the 360-degree content to track twice as fast as the projection of earlier models. Finally, the CINEMOOD 360 boasts expanded internal storage of 32GB, so users can download content for viewing when WiFi is not available.

What Did We Think?

We were sent a review unit of the CINEMOOD 360 for purposes of this review; of course, all opinions are our own. The adult users still loved the portability of the projector, particularly because it can be brought outside for movie night in the back yard while still being kid-friendly enough to stand up to younger users. The younger kids loved playing the games in a 360-degree world (especially chasing that crazy Om Nom around their virtual room). The teenagers were torn between being able to bring big screen Netflix into their bedroom and exploring Yellowstone, particularly in these trying times while COVID-19 has travel all but forbidden.

Get One…

A special $100 discount right now on the CINEMOOD 360 brings the cost to $399.99. Click here for a direct link to purchase on Amazon – and it’s a Prime item too (Affiliate link).

An update to the fabulous Mevo camera was announced at CES last month, and the details are available now that pre-orders are open. The Mevo Start builds on the feature set that has been the foundation of the company’s focus on effortless livestreaming since we first reported on the original Mevo (Mevo Makes Professional Live Video Easy, The Architechnologist, October 15, 2016). The new camera is palm-sized and fulfills the shortcoming of the original unit with more than six hours of livestreaming battery life (without the large Mevo Boost that the original Mevo Plus needed for extended battery life).

Consumers can create 1080p HD livestreaming videos with Mevo Start and its smartphone app, nearly straight from the box, through a smartphone’s LTE connection, Wi-Fi, or ethernet (with an optional adapter). Mevo’s cameras are in direct contrast to the expensive and complex professional solutions that are out of reach for the average consumer and many influencers, and also a great improvement over even the highest quality smartphone content.

For years, Mevo has been in the trenches pioneering high-quality camera technology that has enabled livestreaming to become the cultural phenomenon it is today. Mevo Start continues our cutting-edge work at the forefront of livestreaming technology, and we’re confident that Mevo Start’s capabilities will unlock livestreaming for everyone, regardless of their video experience level. When it’s worth sharing, it’s worth sharing right.
— Max Haot, founder and CEO of Mevo

The Mevo app allows you to instantly share your livestream to any major streaming provider, including Facebook, LinkedIn, Periscope, Twitch, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, and more. The updated hardware in the Mevo Start allows fine-tuning, including sharpness, white balance, exposure value (EV) correction, contrast, brightness, filters, anti-flicker, saturation, and image-flip—all in real-time. Controlling the Mevo Start through the application allows enhanced mobility and the ability to experience the live event while interacting with your audience while the smartphone is up to 100 feet away from the camera.

The Mevo Start provides HD video and 1080p streaming capabilities with impressive low-light performance through its HDR sensor and pixel size. Another improvement over the Mevo Plus is the ability to simultaneously record video to the SD card for future use in addition to the livestream. An updated three MEMS microphone audio system process ensures that users’ sound is clear, even in crowded, noisy environments. You can also directly connect external gear via a 3.5MM port that works with both line level and microphone audio inputs.

Mevo Start retails for $299, and pre-orders will begin shipping in April 2020. To learn more and place a pre-order, visit mevo.com.

There is the one simple, important thing to remember about kids’ online experience: any device that is connected to the internet can cause just as much benefit as harm. Weighing the benefits against the possible damage can be tough. Even though we call these “smart” devices, they are tools just like a hammer or screwdriver, which means they have no intent of their own. As parents and caregivers, this makes it our job to guide children and give them best practices—whether they like it or not.

As the responsible adult, it is important to realize that you might not be able to stop kids from getting online. Most have access at school; many will find ways on their own devices or by sharing friends’ devices. There are means of “locking down” computers, smartphones, and gaming devices (more on that later), but let’s face it… kids are smart, and most will try to get around those safeguards.

In today’s very, very connected world, parents and caregivers need to be ready to talk to their kids and help “decipher” what they will inevitably see. If we are fortunate, then the kids are both comfortable enough to and able to report back to a responsible adult about what they and their peers are exposed to online. Depending on where they explore online, there is a wide range of potential concerns, including cyberbullying, adult content, sexual predators, drug use, depression, suicidal ideation, threats of violence, and more.

There are a number of tools that parents and caregivers can use to help protect the children they care for. Parental controls can limit screen time, installation of applications, specific content/websites, and device services. Software solutions monitor web-based content, email, messaging, and, perhaps most importantly, social media. I use both types of tool in my attempt to safeguard my own children, even though I very much trust them, because I know there are people out there who would seek to do them harm.

That concern, along with my experience in consumer technology, led me to collaborate with Bark, one of the most respected monitoring solutions. I feel that my work with Bark has been, and continues to be, one of the most valuable contributions that I have made to protect my children because I know more about the risks they are exposed to by using these devices and media.

A Cautionary Tale

Recently, a special team at Bark published a story on Medium about a project they had been working on—a real-world sting operation with law enforcement. In the Medium post titled “I’m a 37-Year-Old Mom & I Spent Seven Days Online as an 11-Year-Old Girl. Here’s What I Learned,” the author writes:

Knowing the pervasiveness of predation on the internet isn’t a burden. Not really. It’s a gift. One that helps us turn the tables on abusers. Our work has resulted in arrests of people who have shown the propensity and willingness to harm children. Technology has changed and so too have the methods by which predators find, communicate with, and harm children. If they can use technology to abuse children, we can use the same technology to help stop their crimes.

As a caregiver, reading the post terrified me. I have children who are old enough to be online, and while I have “a very particular set of skills” when it comes to online interactions, I still discussed it at length with my wife and then with my children. Even families like mine, who are proactive when it comes to online content, need to be on guard, all the time, every time.

Just as I was about to send this post to publish, the author of the Medium post released a follow-up with answers to a few of the most asked questions that they had been receiving titled “A Note From Sloane.” You may find answers to your questions in the follow-up.

Now that we know that even if you have amazing, smart, kind, wonderful kids there are dangerous, horrible, criminal deviants out there… just waiting.

What Can Be Done? The Software

Since Bark put out the Medium post (and, again, I have a relationship with the company), it is worth mentioning the service itself as it is available to provide parents and caregivers with insight into what the children in their lives do online.

The algorithms that Bark uses to analyze online activity are based on advanced artificial intelligence that can understand some of the nuances of language, even if it is the constantly evolving slang of youth. The system does not block or filter content, instead issuing notifications to the adults which allows them to decide what needs to be acted on within their families. The application even provides suggestions and talking points for those situations where a discussion is necessary. Bark monitors email (Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, Yahoo, Comcast, and AOL), text messages, websites, searches, and more than 24 social media platforms—all in the background.

Why Not Just Block Content?

The idea of involving the adults in the process, rather than simply blocking content, is worth commenting on. Creating a dialog with children about their online habits and behaviors has become a necessity. There has never before been a time when content of every possible topic was readily available, and caregivers must make our very best efforts to guide children on how to deal with what they see and who they interact with. Just as you cannot prevent your children from ever being on the road with bad drivers, you can give them the skills and tools they can use to be the best traveler they can be.

Furthermore, because Bark only notifies adults when there is a potential issue of concern, parents and caregivers can respect the child’s privacy while saving time that would be spent manually monitoring online activities. Additionally, Bark wants to help caregivers understand how and why they can protect their children. If you and your family would like to get started with Bark, please follow this special Ambassador link that will get you a free trial and 20% off the subscription cost for life. Monitoring kids’ activities doesn’t need to be difficult or expensive, but it’s an important part of raising today’s children.

What More? What Next?

Future posts in this series may cover other monitoring services (with different focuses and methodologies in protecting children online) and hardware-based parental controls (restrictions that control screen time, installation of applications, and blocking of specific content and device services) for all the different mobile devices, computers, game consoles, and more.

The online safety of our children is an issue that will continue to evolve rapidly, and surely will require revisiting all the points regularly as new types of media and software are developed. Please leave thoughts, comments, and questions—I will endeavor to answer, but please understand, this is a sensitive subject and I will not acknowledge any offensive or insensitive remarks.

Recently we were sent a new e-scooter with a set of innovative features: the Mantour X features both a sleek design and an incredibly low 16-pound weight thanks to carbon fiber and aluminum alloy used in construction. The design also allows for extremely simple folding/unfolding; the whole process can be done in about 5 seconds once you get the hang of it.

Even with such a compact, simple design, the Mantour X has a 220-pound weight limit and is able to run at a maximum speed of 12.4 mph thanks to a 240W motor. Other features include a substantial battery that will provide up to 12.4 miles of travel on a single charge. A separate battery powers an LED display on the handlebar that shows the mode, speed, and battery level. Even more LEDs are front-mounted as a bright headlight. The Mantour X uses a kick-to-start process to engage the motor; a few pushes (like any manual scooter) and the motor will start—this not only assists in balancing the rider, but also saves substantial energy in the battery (as the motor does not need to start from a stand-still).

Even though the Mantour X is carrying around a powerful battery, it is still water-resistant and durable for bad weather, with a full IP54 waterproof rating.

The Mantour X claims to be “most portable e-scooter available,” not because of its lightweight, but because of an amazing self-balancing feature. Instead of carrying a folded scooter, or awkwardly pushing any empty scooter, the Mantour X will balance independently on the front wheel when folded and “standing” vertically. From this position, a small touch from the user will guide the powered front wheel, and rolling the scooter will move along beside the user in Follow Mode with little effort required.

During our testing of the pre-production unit sent to us for purposes of this review, we found that having a throttle lever on the left handle and an identical breaking lever on the right handle was confusing at first and not very intuitive, but with a little practice, we quickly gained confidence.

The crowdfunding campaign for the Mantour X Electric Scooter has already surpassed their goal—click here for a direct link to the Kickstarter campaign page and take your pick of many remaining perks. The Mantour X is currently expected to ship to backers in March 2020.

Last week we got to chat with the inventor of the castAway – an innovative second display for your existing iPhone or Samsung smartphone. The concept is simple: a smartphone-sized screen casting device that attaches as a case would, allowing it to be used in vertical orientation (like a book), horizontal orientation (like a keyboard), or detached (as two independent devices). The hardware itself is essentially a very small Chrome OS tablet; powered by a 1.5 GHz ARM-based OP1 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage.

There are three different display sizes being offered for the castAway: 5.8 inches, 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches, to work with the iPhone 6 to the iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Galaxy S7/Note 7 up to the S10/Note 10.

The connection between the castaway and your device happens through the MultiTask+ companion application over either Bluetooth or WiFi. The app allows easy creation of additional windows from either connected device; it will not, however, allow for stretching a single window across the screens. We were told that an open source project around the MultiTask+ app is planned to drive additional uses for the castAway and, perhaps, even development of new dual-screen devices.

The crowdfunding campaign for the castaway has already surpassed their goal – click here for a direct link to the Indiegogo campaign page and take your pick of many remaining perks.

We’ve been using our Philips Hue lights to elevate our Halloween game since 2015, each year embracing the newest hardware. This year we bring it inside the home and enlist the aid of the scariest of scary movies (check out last year’s post here: High-Tech Halloween Shines a Creepy Hue). The new Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box from Signify synchronizes Philips Hue lights with whatever is playing on your television, enabling you to create immersive, room-filling media experiences. Installing the sync box between any HDMI device (streaming device, cable set-top box, video game console, or Blu-Ray or DVD player), and your TV will create surround lighting that is directly related to the colors shown on-screen.

We were sent a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for the purpose of this review and set it up with our existing Hue-enabled living room (of course, all opinions are our own). Connecting HDMI devices to the Sync Box was simple (the box allows up to four) and connecting to the dedicated Philips Hue Sync Mobile application allowed quick access to the setup process. We connected the four lights in our living room, including a pair of Philips Hue Signe Table Lamps (Amazon Affiliate link), plus two more in adjacent spaces to really make movie night an immersive experience. Incredibly, users can sync up to ten (10!) color-capable Philips Hue lights with whatever content is being played.

An alternative to the Signe Table Lamps would be the Hue Play White & Color Ambiance Smart LED Bar Lights (Amazon Affiliate link), which come in black or white shells and a number of different kits.

People love to escape the pressures of everyday life by getting lost in their entertainment. We are proud to present the new Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and give them a simple way to make that possible. Philips Hue users can now easily connect the color-capable lights in their room with their home entertainment systems, taking their movie- and TV-watching, listening and gaming experience to a completely new level.
— Jasper Vervoort, Business Leader, Home Systems & Luminaires, Philips Hue at Signify

Once everything is connected, the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box automatically switches between the different HDMI devices depending on which one is being used; simply powering on the video game console switches the correct input.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box has its own dedicated Philips Hue Sync Mobile app, so you can quickly control and personalize the light experience. You can fine-tune brightness, as well as the speed and intensity of the light effects. You can automate your device even more by configuring the default settings, making it even easier to use on an everyday basis with your entertainment system. In addition to enhancing your home entertainment, you can use your color-capable Philips Hue to enjoy all of the functionality the Hue ecosystem offers, including away from home control and ambiance creation.

The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is available for $229.99 at meethue.com and BestBuy.com (direct links).