The UpStream

During CES 2012 at the Samsung booth there was a sea of familiar Galaxy devices but one that stood out in particular was the Galaxy Note. In an interview with Laptop Magazine, Samsung's product marketing manager, Ryan Bidan, said that the Galaxy Note isn't classified as a phone or tablet but has a category of it's own. It also takes advantage their "S Pen" stylus (pause for dramatic effect).

We've been pretty clear with the Galaxy Note, that we're creating an innovative new category. And it's a new category around personalized communication. You're able to use the S Pen to really interact with your device in a much more analog way than we've been able to traditionally. It's about getting back to that really tactile and personal communication method. We think there's a huge amount of value in that.

Is Samsung on to something or should we continue to refine our motor control skill with our hands and defeat the stylus naturally? Read on after the break.

If you live in the city or suburbs and are looking for a vehicle that you could ride to work and have fun doing it, then you may want to take a look at the Trikke. As the word indicates the Trikke is a three-wheeled electric vehicle. Because it has three wheels it is very stable and easy to ride. You simply turn the throttle and go. You can lean into the curves and the wheels never leave the ground. It folds up so you can easily fit it in the back of a car or carry it into the office. A Trikke weights between 35 and 48 pounds (with battery) depending on the model, so you are probably not going to want to carry it far. You can plug it into any outlet to recharge it. A battery takes about three hours to fully recharge. On a fully charged battery a Trikke will go from 10 to 24 miles depending on model and weight of the rider. You can reach speeds up to 17 miles per hour.

Trikkes are available in different colors and models and the prices range from $1300 to $2200 depending on the model. If you are a skier a Trikke would be a great way to keep in shape for the skiing season. You use the same muscle and movements on a Trikke that you do for skiing and it is low impact. Easier to ride than a bike and a lot better on the bottom.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Today most of us travel with portable music devices, and in a lot cases that's now our smartphone or tablet. Those device don't always have very good external speakers, but most them do have Bluetooth capability. That same Bluetooth technology is now built into external speakers, which really helps to bring these new portable devices to life.

The new BlueII Bluetooth speaker from Mighty Dwarf brings surface induction to the external speaker world. By using the surface the speaker is sitting on to amplify the sound Mighty Dwarf has added a whole new dimension to this external speaker. For those with a device that doesn't feature Bluetooth technology there is a model for you as well.

The new BlueII will be available in March of this year and carries an MSRP of $120 for the Bluetooth model, and $100 for the standard version. There are also other versions already available in the $75 range. You can visit Mighty Dwarf to find out more, and also check out the video demo posted below.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Todd chats to Madison of Mavizon about their new Mavia automotive product which keeps tabs on your vehicle in more ways than one.

Mavia is a small box (see picture left) that plugs into your vehicle's ODB-II port - that's the connector used by technician's to check on the car when there's a problem. The Mavia combines readouts from this port with its own internal GPS receiver to provide location and technical information that is sent back to an online hub at www.mymavia.com. Android and iPhone client apps can be downloaded too.

The MyMavia hub will show data on the vehicle such as gas mileage and distance to next service, plus any diagnostic error codes. MyMavia can interpret some of the diagnostic codes and it enables the owner to consult other resources, online or otherwise, to find out more on what's wrong with the car. MyMavia incorporates location services too, showing where the vehicle is on Google Maps and there are connections to social sites like Foursquare.

The Mavia is in a beta testing phase so pricing is not confirmed but is expected to be around $200. The device will be available from retail outlets later in the year and requires no special fitting; it's a self-install.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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The fast pace of modern Western life doesn't lend itself to a healthy lifestyle and many of us struggle to keep on top of the weight and exercise regularly, including myself. Careverge can help as a one-stop health and well-being site that brings together fitness, health and support in one place. Careverge's Henry de Phillips talks to Jamie Davies of the MedicCast and the Nursing Show about what the site can offer.

Careverge's approach is to create a social networking environment to encourage good health behaviours rather than to simply sell a product or a plan. The site brings networking, gaming and recommendations together so that within only a few moments of starting to use the site, the individual is given personalised suggestions on reading and possible activities. The focus of Careverge is to encourage people to health through fun while providing quality health information and support to reach their goals.

Careverge is free to use for consumers.

Interview by Jamie Davis of The Pod Medic for the TechPodcast Network.

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From the CES 2012 floor, Jamie Davis from Promed Network talks with David from LifeStation about their new web enabled pill box for people on daily medications. The pill box had compartments for up to 4 doses a day and once full holds a week's worth of pills. The pillbox doors flash when it's time for that dose and if after a time, the door isn't opened it starts beeping. If the person still doesn't take their meds, it sends and email, text and automated phone call to the patient and their care giver. In tests, the pill box got a medication compliance of up to 92% (which is very good)

For more information go to medicationstation.com or lifestation.com.

Interview by Jamie Davis of The Pod Medic for the TechPodcast Network.

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