24 Hours with Bixby


Unless you have been under a rock, you already know about Samsung’s entry into the Smart Assistant category with the odd name Bixby.  If you have been under a rock, welcome back and we’ll wait while you catch up.

Bixby launched on the new Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus phones back in April, but it was incomplete.  At launch, it only supported a small set of functions (no voice) that made it look a lot like Google Now.  Months later, Samsung is finally preparing to launch voice capabilities for Bixby.  I have been lucky enough to get early access and as I am not under an NDA, I get to tell you about my experience with Samsung’s Smart Assistant.  Is it a worthy competitor to Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant?  Read on to find out…

Samsung is sending odd messages about how Bixby fits into the Smart Assistant landscape.  They pointedly avoid any sort of comparison to any of the other assistants like the Google Assistant or Siri.  Instead, the messaging is around how personal and local to you Bixby is.  It is an intelligent interface to your device, although from a function perspective it is difficult to see how that interface differs from the competition.

Both the S8 and the Plus come with a dedicated Bixby button on the left side of the phone.  That’s important to know later when I get into how to use Bixby, but for now, it just serves to bolster the message that Bixby is part of the phone’s interface.  Installation was pretty simple – an over the air update delivered the necessary modules, and after a quick restart of my S8 Plus, I was ready to train Bixby.

Yes, train.  While both Cortana and Google Assistant offered to improve voice recognition through training, neither actually required me to read phrases into my device like Samsung did.  And the interface for training was particularly laggy – during the training, the phrase to speak would take a minute or more to appear on the screen.  I was not prevented, however, from pressing the Bixby button nor did anything I say to the phone actually get used UNTIL the phrase appeared on the screen.  Instead, I was greeted with an error message telling me the phrase was not understood – and the error message showed before the phrase to read.

Once trained, Bixby sits (mostly) in the background waiting for you to give him something to do.  Bixby is supposed to respond to a trigger phrase (in this case, “Hi, Bixby”), which implies an always-listening connection on your phone.  I have yet to be able to get Bixby to respond to the trigger phrase except for the first time I say it post-reboot of the phone.  After I have used the trigger phrase, Bixby apparently stops listening until the phone restarts.  This is beta software, I guess, but it seems like a big miss.

The only consistent way I can get Bixby to respond is to press the dedicated button.  A quick press of the button launches Bixby Home, which should remind you of a pastel version of Google Now.  Context cards appear on the screen that tells you about the weather, your calendar, and alarms, some “trending stories” categories that take you to a Google news search and Samsung Themes (in case you obsessively want to change the look of your phone).  There are other links to apps like Samsung Health and reminders, but only if the app lives on your phone and you connected it with Bixby via setup.

This chart is the optimistic use case for Bixby.  Home is the Google Now-equivalent page.  Vision is connected to the Samsung Camera app and is supposed to allow you to snap a picture of something and get a translation, identification or other data.  So far, I get about 1 hit with data out of every 5 attempts.  Often the data is wrong – I snapped a picture of a “wet floor” sign at my local Starbucks and instead of a translation of “piso mojado” I was shown a Google search for the phrase “slippery when wet” – granted, it is in the same ballpark, but since the Spanish phrase was all that was visible in the picture, it seems like an odd way to answer what should have been a simple translation.

Reminders are just that – location and time aware reminders to do something.  When you are able to get the reminder into Bixby, they work exactly the same as Google’s reminders (and Cortana’s and Siri’s, I would guess).  Getting the reminder in is challenging, though, because…

Voice is the interface portion of Bixby and primarily how you are supposed to interact.  You can tell Bixby to remind you to pick up milk when you get to Metropolitan Market or to remind you to buy tickets for Chris Isaak tomorrow at 9 AM.  You can tell Bixby, but if there is any noise in the room or anything going on with your phone, Bixby will almost always get it wrong.  Asking Bixby to remind me to get milk while walking towards the store netted me a Google search for the etymology of the word “ilk”.  In fact, about half the time I got something entirely different than the reminder I was hoping for.

Pressing and holding the Bixby button allows you to launch a command or set a reminder without the trigger phrase, which is a very good thing since I could never get the trigger to work consistently.  You can use commands like “Open Messages” and the Messages (SMS) app will open.  For apps that have deep-linking (at the moment, only a handful of Samsung apps like Health and Messages), you can add an operation to the command – like “Open Messages and Send a Text to Beth”.  For the apps which Samsung has deep-linking setup, this works quite nicely.  However, Bixby has recognition problems here, too.  I use Pulse for SMS messaging, and if I use the command “Open Pulse” inexplicably Bixby launches Samsung Health – while I get the “pulse” reference, it would appear Bixby has trouble parsing the syntax of commands and just executes whatever it thinks it is near-matched.

Other than reminders and VERY light phone commands, Voice leaves a lot to be desired.  And even those leave something to be desired.

I would love to tell you of a better experience, but it is truly early days for Bixby.  Samsung must have realized that the assistant is something less than half-baked because not long after the beta was launched Samsung announced the general availability would be delayed until there are more resources (read: apps) available.  Probably a good thing, too, because it gives them more time to perfect something the other guys have right already: voice recognition with consistent results.  It was 24 hours of frustrating near misses, reminders to check my alarms (which I routinely dismissed only to have them reappear a couple of hours later), inability to set reminders for the things I needed, and other quirky results that made me think of Apple’s Newton handwriting fiasco many years ago.  If you want a laugh, go look that last one up.

So for now, back to the Google Assistant where I know it will remind me to get milk.

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24 Hours with Bixby originally appeared on on June 29, 2017 at 7:59 am.

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A celiac’s new best friend: the Nima portable gluten sensor


For people with celiac disease, an autoimmune condition for which there is no cure, eating gluten-free isn’t just a way of life. It is life, considering a mere 20 ppm of gluten is all it takes to trip an immune response. Enter Nima, a portable gluten sensor that tests food for the presence of gluten exceeding the threshold of safety for celiacs.

The unit, which retails for $279 ($229 at the time of this posting), comes with three test vials, a micro-USB recharging cable and a carrying pouch, which fits in a purse or pocket. The unit measures 3.5 inches wide and 3.1 inches high and has bluetooth connectivity so it can synch to your smartphone. Users can contribute their test results to the Nima community using a free Nima app, which also provides a list of Nima-tested restaurants.

To test for the presence of gluten, users put a sample of food – liquid or solid – into a vial and insert the vial into the device. In three minutes, a wheat icon and a “gluten detected” warning will warn users if their food is not safe to consume; a smile icon gives diners the go-ahead.

Nima works using a combination of chemistry and sensors, and the vials are not reusable. Subscriptions are available for $59.95 per month for 12 capsules or $61.95 for 12 vials every other month. Those who eat restaurant or processed food often can opt for the $116.94, 24-capsule plan per month. Some foods – soy sauce, pure vinegar, beer, or alcohol – cannot be tested, leaving diners to make educated judgment calls before consumption.

Visit nimasensor.com for more information.

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A celiac’s new best friend: the Nima portable gluten sensor originally appeared on on June 29, 2017 at 6:47 am.

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ShedRain e-Motion motorized compact umbrella review


Do you carry a compact umbrella with you for rainy days? I have one in my drawer at my day job and one in the glove compartment of my car just so I have all my bases covered. The overall design of compact umbrellas hasn’t changed much over the years unless you include the button on the handle that automatically extends the canopy over your head when you press it. Yes, that’s a very handy feature, there hasn’t been a button to automatically close the umbrella until now. Let’s go singing in the rain with the ShedRain e-Motion motorized compact umbrella.

What is it?

The ShedRain e-Motion motorized compact umbrella is a 14″ long umbrella that fully opens and closes with the press of a button.

What’s in the box?

ShedRain e-Motion motorized compact umbrella
Protective sleeve
AC adapter
Instructions

Design and features

At first glance, the ShedRain e-Motion motorized compact umbrella looks like an ordinary black umbrella that you probably already own.

The umbrella is 14″ long when closed and features an 8-panel design that is made of a black polka dotted polyester material that has a rain repellent Teflon coating, sturdy fiberglass ribs, and a steel shaft.

The e-Motion has a comfortable rubberized handle with a wrist strap. But when you look a little closer you’ll notice two arrow buttons and a battery status LED below them.

The ShedRain is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery that can last for months on a charge which is done using the included AC adapter. The adapter plugs into a socket on the bottom of the umbrella handle and a small rubber cover protects the socket when it’s not being used.

Charging the umbrella is as easy as plugging the cable into the umbrella, plugging the adapter into a wall outlet, and then waiting for the LED on the AC adapter to turn from red to green.

There’s also a status LED on the umbrella handle, which turns red when the battery needs to be recharged. I’ve yet to see it light up because one charge provides enough power for up to 150 openings and closings.

How does it work?

It really couldn’t be any easier. You unwrap the velcro strap around the closed umbrella and press and hold the up arrow on the handle. That’s it. To close you press and hold the down button. Like I said, easy.

See it in action

As you can see from the video, using the ShedRain is easy and it’s fun too. I love it!

Final thoughts

Most standard umbrellas offer a one-button open of the umbrella, but they still have to manually push the folded canopy down the handle. I bet some of you thinking that people are lazy if they can’t even close an umbrella without needing a button or a motor to do it. But think about it for a minute. Closing an umbrella is awkward when your other hand is holding something, you have dexterity problems or you only have one arm in the first place.

The only criticism of the ShedRain that I can think of is that it uses a proprietary AC adapter. I wish it used a microUSB or USB Type-C connector instead so I could charge it at the office, in my car, etc. As is, you have to to make sure not to lose the AC adapter that ships with the umbrella.

Note: I’m not sure what happens if the battery in the umbrella is completely dead. Will it open? I have sent that question to ShedRain and will update the review as soon as I get an answer.

The ShedRain e-Motion motorized compact umbrella makes using an umbrella fast and easy by completely opening and closing it with the simple hold of a button. Now I look forward to rainy days!

Source: The sample for this review was provided by ShedRain. Please visit their site for more info.

 

Product Information

Price: $99.00
Manufacturer: ShedRain
Pros:
  • Very easy to use
  • Opens and closes with the press of a button
  • Compact
  • Rechargeable
Cons:
  • Uses a proprietary charger

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ShedRain e-Motion motorized compact umbrella review originally appeared on on June 28, 2017 at 4:56 pm.

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PITAKA modular wallet, Touch wireless earbuds, FODI device stand, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns


Today I have a selection of five Kickstarter and Indiegogo projects for you to read about. Click through to see my list of this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

PITAKA – Redefine Carbon Fiber Wallet

What is it?
The PITAKA is a modular, magnetic RFID-Blocking wallet made of lightweight carbon fiber.

Why do I like it?
I reviewed the original PITAKA wallet earlier this year and found it to be an interesting design for a minimalist wallet. My main negative feedback was that credit cards with magnetic strips could not be used in the wallet for fear of the magnets damaging them. This new version of the PITAKA wallet solves that problem by adding an anti-degaussing module that can hold up to 3 cards. There are also other new layers that can hold keys, coins and more.

Where can I find more info?
With 31 days left in the campaign, The PITAKA campaign has already reached their funding goal of $15,000. You can pre-order a PITAKA wallet starting at $69. After the PITAKA campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

EverSleep – Wake Up Refreshed 5-In-1 Sleep Tracker

What is it?
EverSleep is a sleep tracking device.

Why do I like it?
I like EverSleep because it doesn’t just track the different sleep levels like light, REM, and deep, but it also tracks your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, movement and your respiratory function. It looks like a more comprehensive sleep tracker than the ones we see on the market today that are built into our wearable fitness trackers. The EverSleep’s main function is tracking sleep, so it focuses all its effort on that task.

Where can I find more info?
With 17 days left in the campaign, The EverSleep campaign has already reached their funding goal of $40,000. You can pre-order an EverSleep tracker starting at $169. After the EverSleep campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

FODI – The flat multi-purpose origami stand

What is it?
The FODI is a thin Origami stand that folds into different sizes to support phones, tablets, laptops more.

Why do I like it?
I like the FODI because it’s thin, easy to store, and can be used with a variety of devices instead of just phones or tablets. It’s made of a thin polypropylene fibre but is strong enough to hold up to 44 lbs.

Where can I find more info?
With 39 days left in the campaign, The FODI campaign has already reached their funding goal of $7,607. You can pre-order a FODI starting at $14. After the FODI campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Touch – Affordable, Ultra Small, Wireless Earbuds

What is it?
Touch wireless Bluetooth earbuds are that are very small and store in their own recharging case that easily fits in your pocket.

Why do I like it?
I like the Touch wireless earbuds because they look almost identical to the Rowkin earbuds that I reviewed last year. I loved the size and fit of those earbuds, but they had a lot of problems with connectivity. Touch earbuds are the next generation of that design. I asked the people behind the Touch campaign how their earbuds different from the Rowkin buds and this is what they had to say:

the differences between the Rowkin Bit. Touch is the second generation product where we’ve replaced the single multi-function button with a touch sensor. Now you don’t have to fiddle around to make sure you are pressing the button all the way. In addition, now the earbuds feature a brand new chipset and redesigned RF module with Bluetooth 5.0.

In your review, you mentioned the minor disconnects when you move around. With Bluetooth 5.0, the range is increased 4X and the new chipset has double the processing power for better DSP (better audio).

Otherwise, the same size and bullet styling is nearly identical with a slight angle where the ear-tip attaches for better fit!

I’m anxious to give them a try!

Where can I find more info?
With 16 days left in the campaign, The Touch campaign has already reached their funding goal of $10,000. You can pre-order a pair of Touch earbuds starting at $89. After the Touch campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2017. Visit their Indiegogo page for all the details.

eWheels: Turn Any Pushcart to an Electric Remote Golf Caddie

What is it?
eWheels turns any pushcart to a remote-controlled motorized electric golf caddie.

Why do I like it?
I don’t play golf, but I just think that eWheels is a cool idea that could be applied to other uses like a motorized garden cart. We spent last weekend moving rocks using a pull cart and it was a lot of work. Turning our existing cart into a rechargeable motorized cart that we can remote control sounds great! Although I can’t find any info on how much weight the eWheels can handle.

Where can I find more info?
With 8 days left in the campaign, The eWheels campaign has already reached their funding goal of $50,000. You can pre-order an eWheels starting at $429. After the eWheels campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

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PITAKA modular wallet, Touch wireless earbuds, FODI device stand, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on on June 28, 2017 at 9:35 am.

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Koogeek BP2 blood pressure monitor review


I don’t take my blood pressure on a regular basis, but maybe I should.  I have EMT training so I own a manual sphygmomanometer (“blood pressure cuff”) as well as a tabletop automatic and a portable. The Koogeek BP2, however, looked so small and sleek, I knew I had to give it a try.

The BP2 comes with a microUSB charging cable and documents.

  • Length (Fold): 150mm
  • Width (Fold): 75mm
  • Thickness (Fold): 85mm
  • Weight: Approx. 300g
  • Cuff Size: Approx. 220-360mm
  • Battery: 400mAh lithium charged via MicroUSB. Good for at least 50 times of continuous usage on one charge.

The top of the BP2 consists of (left-right) a microUSB charging port, reset button (recessed), LED and power button.

The BP2 reminds me of an iPod Mini.

Here’s a close-up of the cuff.  Check your upper arm circumference before ordering.

The BP2 also includes wireless connectivity to your Android or iOS device. I started to install the App, and came across this:

Why do I have to give them my email and password just to start cuff inflation and take a reading?  The app logs your blood pressure measurements, but I don’t see why you can’t just write it down yourself.  I guess I’m old fashioned that way, and I don’t feel like sharing my health information in this manner.

In the instructions, I found this note about not using your cell phone near the BP2.  I’m not sure someone proofread this. Why have a companion app, then?

Even more troubling was this note in part 4, “After the measurement”.  Why would the BP2 upload your readings to the server if you don’t launch the app?

Fortunately, for the paranoid-minded like me, you can operate the BP2 without the app.  Simply power it up, and press the power button a second time to begin cuff inflation.

As you can see in the video, the BP2 display shows systolic (the “upper” number) and diastolic (the “lower” number) plus heart rate.

But is it any good?  I was a little concerned when I saw my readings.  They were high for me.  So over the course of an hour, I took my blood pressure at rest using different methods.

Koogeek BP2:  125/74

Hyundai upper-arm portable:  118/75

Omron desktop: 114/77

Manual cuff with stethoscope: 115/80

On average I noticed the Koogeek BP2 measured about 10 mmHg higher than what I think is normal for me.  That’s not reassuring. It could be an individual error. I also noticed the screen went blank after giving a reading in about 10 seconds. If you don’t use the app, I would note the reading or write it down quickly.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Koogeek. Please visit their site for more info and Amazon to order one.

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Koogeek BP2 blood pressure monitor review originally appeared on on June 28, 2017 at 8:30 am.

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