Print it
About a decade ago, when Amazon introduced its first e-reader, publishers panicked that digital books would take over the industry, the way digital transformed the music industry, reports The New York Times. And for a while, that fear seemed totally justified. At one point, the growth trajectory for e-books was more than 1,200 percent. Bookstores suffered, and print sales lagged. But in just the last couple of years, there has been a reversal: Print is holding steady – even increasing – and e-book sales have slipped. One possible reason is that e-book prices have gone up, so in some cases they’re more expensive than a paperback edition. Another possibility is digital fatigue; people spend so much time in front of screens that when they read they want to be offline. Another theory is that some e-book readers have switched to audiobooks, which are easy to play on your smartphone while you’re multitasking.
What’s in store?
Western Digital unveiled new devices that address what the company describes as “today’s personal content explosion,” including voice-activated media streaming via popular Smart Home devices, the “world’s smallest” 1TB USB flash drive, and a portfolio of “ultra-mobile, high-performance, wireless and high-capacity flash storage products.” The “world’s smallest 256GB USB flash drive” – the 256GB SanDisk Ultra Fit™ USB 3.1 Flash Drive – can store 14,000 photos, 10 hours of full HD video and 16,000 songs, with 64GB still available for files.
Multi-gig connectivity
Road warriors with thin, light laptops will be able to experience multi-gig connectivity by using the suite of Thunderbolt™ 3 solutions to multi-gig Ethernet adaptors for PCs and MACs from Aquantia Corp. The Thunderbolt adapters connect to the Thunderbolt port on the laptop to provide an RJ45 Ethernet port that supports 5GbE and 10GbE networks. It is also backwards compatible to support legacy 10/100/1000BASE-T networks.
Keep an eye on Fluffy
Pebby announced that its smart robotic pet sitter system, said to allow pet owners to monitor, interact with and entertain their pets remotely, was set to ship starting late Q1 2018. The Pebby “ball,” which can be remotely controlled via the Pebby companion app (for iOS and Android), houses a 1080p wide-angle video camera and four lithium-ion batteries to allow pet owners to watch, interact with and capture their pet’s cutest, candid moments in real-time (live footage streams to the Pebby app). Made in a pet-friendly size (80mm in diameter), Pebby features an interchangeable/multi-design inner casing, built-in LED lights for “night vision” mode and LED glow rims. It also houses built-in speakers and a laser toy that is safe for humans and pets.
Free charge
“Free Wi-Fi” at your favorite coffee shop is great. But how about “Free Charging.” Wi-Charge’s wireless-charging technology uses infrared beams to transfer power between a charging hotspot and client devices within a 10-meter range. The hotspot easily mounts on a wall or ceiling, providing full room coverage, so your cellphone can recharge automatically while you’re drinking your coffee, without any user intervention. Says the company, “Similar concepts have been attempted by others, but so far no one could offer a solution that is powerful enough to charge a phone, have sufficient reach to cover a room, and be radiation-safe. Wi-Charge is the first company to achieve the power/range/safety level required for a commercial wireless power solution.”