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Awesome tech you can’t buy yet, for the week of August 24, 2014

awesome tech cant buy yet week august 24 2014 sharkstopper
Image used with permission by copyright holder
At any given moment there are approximately a zillion different crowdfunding campaigns happening on the WebTake a stroll through Kickstarter or Indiegogo and you’ll find there’s no shortage of weird, useless, and downright stupid projects out there – alongside some real gems. We’ve cut through the Pebble clones and janky iPhone cases to round up the most unusual, ambitious, and exciting projects out there this week. Keep in mind that any crowdfunded project — even the best intentioned — can fail, so do your homework before cutting a check for the gadget of your dreams.

Noke — Bluetooth padlock

NokeNoke (pronounced “no-key”) works exactly the same as all the other Bluetooth locks you’ve seen before, with one key difference: You can lock up anything with it. It works like a padlock, so you can use it secure your garage, your shed, the gate to your yard, or even your locker at the gym — not just your front door or bicycle. Aesthetically, the device bears a striking resemblance to the old-school Masterlock you know and love, just without any keyholes or combination dial. Instead, it uses its Bluetooth brains to communicate with your smartphone and detect when you’re close by. To open it, just click the lock shaft once and it’ll automatically look for a phone with a compatible Bluetooth key, and then unlock when it finds one. You don’t even need to take you phone out of your pocket.

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PatchnRide — Flat tire repair device

PatchnRideDon’t worry, this isn’t another brand of fix-a-flat-style ooze. Instead, Patchnride is more like an oddly-shaped syringe that inserts a patch directly into your tire at the source of the leak. We haven’t had a chance to test it out for ourselves just yet, but according to the device’s creators, it can permanently patch a hole in just a minute or two, meaning repairs can be performed on the fly whenever they happen — no more walking your bike home when you get a flat. Here’s how it works: Once you’ve tracked down the puncture, the next step is to insert Patchnride’s spike directly into it and press the start button. This will release a small amount of quick-drying adhesive into the inner tube, at which point you push a slider forward to insert a special patch into the tire. After that, pull the tool out out and press down on the repair site for a few seconds to set the adhesive. When you’re finished, just pump the tire back up and continue on your way.

SharkStopper — Acoustic shark repeller

SharkStopperUnlike previous shark-repellent systems that rely on electricity, magnets, chemicals, and even special wetsuit patterns that make you look unappetizing, SharkStopper uses nothing more than a specially-designed acoustic emission to keep sharks at a safe distance. “The noise emitted by SharkStopper emulates the sounds of killer whales in conjunction with our patented frequency overlay,” the project’s Kickstarter page reads. Since killer whales are their main predators, sharks will (allegedly) swim in the opposite direction as soon as they hear the sound. The device has been reportedly been tested in a number of different locations with a wide variety of different sharks, and in every test, the SharkStopper was observed to consistently repel sharks between 5 and 20 yards away — even when sharks were first lured in with blood and bait.

Eve — Smart irrigation controller

EveRather than relying solely on your local weather forecast to determine the best time to water your yard, Eve takes the connected sprinkler concept to a whole new level with an array of network-connected sensors. These little “Adam” spikes are designed to stick into your soil and measure moisture and temperature. Each one actually has sensors running along the entire length of the spike, so they can take readings from both above and below ground. In a nutshell, this allows Eve know exactly whats going on in your particular patch of land, rather than merely using the Web to pull information about the broader region you’re in. This increased accuracy presumably makes the system more accurate, and as an added bonus, it will be compatible with the Smart Things ecosystem right out of the box.

Ultrasonic Levitation Machine — Levitate small objects with sound

Ultrasonic Levitation MachineIf you think that Newton’s Cradle physics toy you’ve got sitting on your desk is cool, just wait until you see this thing. Using nothing more than sound, this little gizmo is capable of suspending a wide variety of small objects in midair — seemingly defying the laws of gravity. Here’s how it works: A small transducer, located at the base of the device, beams a high-frequency ultrasonic sound wave upward, towards a reflector located above. This causes sound waves to bounce back toward the transducer. By manipulating the frequency of the sound (not the amplitude, which would make it louder), it’s possible to adjust the resulting waveform so that the outgoing and incoming sound waves are slightly out of sync, which creates “pockets” of high pressure and low pressure in the air. If you place a small, lightweight object inside of one of these pockets, it will stay suspended there until acted upon by outside forces. Pretty nifty, right!?

Drew Prindle
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…
Nissan joins ChargeScape, a way for EV owners to sell watts back to the grid
electrify america home charging station for electric cars

EV owners already enjoy the benefits of knowing their vehicle is charging up quietly while they sleep. Now they can dream about how much money they can make in the process.That’s the bet Nissan is making by joining ChargeScape, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) venture that is already backed by BMW, Ford, and Honda.ChargeScape’s software wirelessly connects electric vehicles to power grids and utility companies. When connected with ChargeScape's platform, EV drivers can receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand. ChargeScape says they will eventually also be able to sell the energy stored in their vehicle's battery back to the power grid.
A 2021 study by the University of Rochester found that EV owners could save up to $150 a year by using V2G technology. But the technology has evolved in recent years. V2G company Fermata Energy says that in some circumstances, a customer using its bi-directional charger was able to save $187.50 in 15 minutes by drawing energy from a Nissan LEAF to avoid costly demand charges.
Nissan intends to roll out the ChargeScape technology to its EV drivers across the U.S. and Canada. The company says the move is of particular significance given its U.S. sales of 650,000 Leaf models, one of the first EVs with the capability to export power back to the grid.ChargeScape, which launched in September, is equally owned by BMW, Ford, Honda, and now Nissan. But it expects other automakers to join the party.In August, GM announced that V2G technology will become standard in all its model year 2026 models. The project comes at a time when EV sales and infrastructure growth are ramping up quickly, along with challenges for the electric grid. Simply put, more EVs on the road means more demand on utilities to provide the needed power.At the same time, more and more EV makers seek to incorporate automotive software that provide advanced driver aids and other connected features. With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology quickly spreading, ChargeScape is entering a landscape where competitors such as ChargePoint, Electrify America, Fermata Energy, and BP Pulse are already vying for a piece of the action.
But there is one good reason for ChargeScape to move in now: Tesla, which otherwise dominates the field in the U.S., has so far backed off from embracing V2G technology, focusing instead on its Powerwall home-battery solution to store solar energy and provide backup power. However, CEO Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla could introduce V2G technology for its vehicles in 2025.

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Waymo’s Hyundai robotaxi deal may steal the show from Tesla
A Hyundai Ioniq 5 is equipped as a robotaxi.

Just days ahead of Tesla’s much anticipated robotaxi event on Thursday, Hyundai unveiled a partnership with Waymo that will add Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 to the fleet of the robotaxi operator.In the first phase of the partnership, Waymo will integrate its sixth-generation fully autonomous technology, called the Waymo Driver, into the all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV, which will be added to the Waymo One fleet over time.On-road testing with Waymo-enabled Ioniq 5s is due to start in late 2025 and become available to riders of the Waymo One robotaxi service the following year.Alphabet-owned Waymo currently operates the only functioning robotaxi service in the U.S., with a fleet of about 700 self-driving vehicles already on the road in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The service is also being tested in Austin, Texas.Last year, General Motors’ competing robotaxi service Cruise had to stop operations after one of its vehicles struck a pedestrian in San Francisco. Cruise’s GM vehicles are nonetheless expected to resume operations next year through a partnership with Uber.Driverless vehicles have stumbled on two main obstacles on the road to commercialization: The complexity of the technology and tight safety regulations.For now, Waymo’s existing footprint gives it a marked advantage over its competitors. Its sixth-generation technology is said to handle a wider array of weather conditions with fewer on-board cameras and sensors. In their joint statement, Waymo and Hyundai emphasized the proven safety of both the Waymo technology and the Ioniq 5. Waymo’s technology relies on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar and lidar (a laser-light radar). It's an approach that might be very costly but has met the approval of safety regulators. All this adds pressure on Tesla to deliver the goods with the launch of its robotaxi -- expected to be called the Cybercab.Tesla’s ambition has been to eventually provide full driverless capacity directly to consumers. Tesla owners can already buy software called Full Self-Driving (FSD) that operates like an advanced driver assistance system and requires constant driver supervision.Tesla’s FSD relies on multiple onboard cameras to feed machine-learning models that, in turn, help the car make decisions based on what it sees.The technology, however, has not yet convinced all current and former traffic safety officials.

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Tesla reveals price range for Optimus Gen2, its ‘robot without wheels’
Tesla's 2022 Optimus robot prototype is seen in front of the company logo.

“The future should look like the future”, CEO Elon Musk said at the Tesla "We Robot" special event held in Burbank, California, earlier this week. Sure enough, Tesla’s much-anticipated autonomous robotaxi, the Cybercab, and its large-van counterpart, the Cybervan, seemed straight out of celebrated sci-fi movies. But as the name of the event hinted at, a vision of the future would not be complete without robots: Several of the Optimus Gen 2, Tesla’s latest version of humanoid-like robot, were found serving drinks, holding conversations with guests, and even dancing at the event.Tesla has recently pitched the Optimus as a potential replacement for factory workers in China and elsewhere. Musk previously said he expects the Optimus to start working at Tesla factories in 2025 and to be available to other firms in 2026.
Yet, at the event, the Tesla boss revealed his expanded vision of a household robot that can do “everything you want: Babysit your kid, walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks”.He also gave a closer estimate of the robot’s price tag: Once produced "at scale," Optimus should cost somewhere between $20,000 and $30,000. Musk had previously said the robot’s price would be about half that of a car. 
Staying true to his sci-fi vision, the Tesla CEO referred to Optimus as a cross between R2D2 and C-3PO, the famous droids from the Star Wars film series.
Ever since the first generation of the Optimus was revealed in 2022, Tesla has emphasized the continuity between its cars and the robot. “Everything that we’ve developed for our cars -- the battery power’s electronics, the advanced motor’s gearboxes, the software, the AI inference computer -- it all actually applies to a humanoid robot,” Musk said at the event. “A robot with arms and legs, instead of a robot with wheels.”
Tesla would not be the first to offer a domestic robot on the market. Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics has already commercialized a home service-type robot called Spot with a hefty price tag of $74,500. BMW and Open AI are backing robots made by Figure, a California-based company. Meanwhile, Nvidia is developing Project GR00T to also deliver humanoid robots.Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs forecast that the annual global market for humanoid robots could reach $38 billion by 2035, with robot shipments of 1.4 million units both for industrial and consumer applications. It also said that robots could become more affordable as their manufacturing cost has been decreasing more than expected -- leading to faster commercialization.

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