Hoop dreams
It seems there’s a smartwatch for everything these days, but here’s one we hadn’t spotted before. At its name suggests, The Hoop Tracker is strictly for basketball enthusiasts and is designed to help such pros nail their shots.
When a player straps on the device, it’ll track their three point dunks, free throws and field goals percentages. The watch works with a detector that sits on the hoop rim, so coaches can follow a game or practice session to track how athletes are performing. Now there’s really nowhere on the court to hide.
On your bike
Kiwis are always being encouraged to get out of their smog-generated cars and enjoy some fresh air on a bike ride. And there’s a new device that could help citizens of the world get cycling and a bit more eco-friendly. It’s the Cyclepark device, made by Smartstreets in the UK. The device clips onto the pole of a street sign so you don’t have to hunt around looking for a bike stand. It also looks cool, which never goes astray if you’re trying to get people to buy your product.
Roast lamb, hands free
An education project that began at the Technological Educational Institute of Ionian Islands in Greece could turn out to be a boon for anyone who’s ever had to turn a lamb on a spit. SouvLEAP automates the process of creating the traditional Greek meal by motorising the spit and connecting it to an Arduino controller. The controller then works with software created using the Leappad API to receive the circle gestures. Don’t mind the video’s dodgy intro, it does cut to the chase … and the backing track will make you feel like you’re at a greek restaurant.
Making an impression
If you’ve never heard of e-ink, it’s actually a paper-like display used across a range of media. Paulig Muki is a coffee cup that uses this display, producing an image generated the heat when you pour coffee in. Alongside the e-paper screen the cup transfers heat from the coffee to aluminium to produce electricity and power the screen. It also has a bluetooth low energy module that connects to a smartphone, so friends can send you pictures to display or you can use your own.
