The Solar Juice is Loose

At this point, we might as well acknowledge that smartphones have become an extension of our bodies. Or have we just become extensions of our smartphones? If your phone dies in 2017, you might as well be in the Stone Age. They’re our go-to source for everything from crushing digital candy to keeping up with politics through the President’s twitter feed.

Phones' battery drain is a big issue. The Solar Juice 26,800mAH external solar battery is determined to end the days of charging your phone three times per day. Powered entirely by the sun, the external battery has enough juice to charge an iPhone 7 plus nine times over.

Equipped with two USB ports, a USB-C port and a micro USB port, Solar Juice has the ability to charge multiple devices at the same time. The battery is also waterproof, dirt proof and shockproof, putting it light years ahead of its competitors in terms of durability.

The Solar Juice 26,800mAH external solar battery is currently available for a price of $99.99.

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Earbud: Message Receiver

In order for something to truly last it has to be wireless. If you don’t believe me, try calling your best friend on their home phone number and see what happens.  Judging from TRELAB’s X11 ear buds, they definitely got the memo.

Their newest ear buds are tiny, portable and, of course, wireless. Whether you’re on your way to the gym or office, TRELAB’s X11's impressive bluetooth audio set should take care of your music listening needs. The ear buds also come equipped with state of the art noise cancelling software and a built in microphone.  This allows users to accept calls with the touch of a button while keeping both hands free.

For all of you gym goers, you can kiss the days of ear buds falling out mid-workout goodbye. The ear X11s are built with technology designed to prevent sweat from seeping through.

Top that off with multi-device connection support and the X11 seems almost too good to be true.

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Light Up your Life

There is always more solar technology to talk about and this great tool saves both time and money. PLAYBULB Solar is taking outdoor lighting to the next level. The device charges from sunlight throughout the day to provide quality lighting once the sun goes down. PLAYBULB is also entirely water resistant thanks to IP68 waterproofing.

The product’s small, sleek design allows it to be taken anywhere. Stakes that act as a base for the PLAYBULB are included, so the lights can be set up anywhere you see fit. Built in motion sensors make sure that the lights go on when people are nearby. To sweeten the pot, the PLAYBULB is even controllable on an app as long as you’re within 10 meters.

PLAYBULB is perfect to light up an outdoor garden or illuminate your pool to make it your neighborhood hot spot.

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Feel Phree to Write Anywhere (Almost):

If you’ve ever rushed to write down a million dollar idea only to have it escape your mind seconds before you open a note page on your phone, you’re not alone.  Israel-based company OTM Technologies is on a mission to make sure this never happens again.

OTM’s new product, the Phree digital pen, allows users to write anything on (virtually) any surface, anytime. Using an optical sensor courtesy of OTM cofounder, Gilad Lederer, object’s motions are measured in three dimensions. The device connects to smartphones, laptops, tablets and virtual reality headsets via bluetooth. The Phree also works well with Windows and Android-based products. They’ve also created an Android app allowing users to jot down a quick thought without having to open up their phones.

Unfortunately, the Phree digital pen does not write on glass. It also may not work well on bumpy surfaces, so you may have to hold off writing notes on your car window for a little while longer.

The Phree digital pen already has two new features lined up. OTM wants to design Phree to be able to answer phone calls and send fellow Phree users messages with the world as your writing canvas.

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Internet of Bees

The bee population is diminishing at an uncomfortable pace. One of the biggest reasons is that, with thousands of hives to watch over, beekeepers are having a hard time keeping a watchful eye on them. The answer? Oldooz Pooyanfar.

The Canadian researcher and graduate student at Simon Fraser University is developing a monitoring system to keep a closer eye on the hives. Pooyanfar created the product to gain some inside information on what has been causing the bee population to deplete.

Her invention uses microphones and temperature/humidity sensors to collect data about each particular hive. She eventually hopes to introduce accelerometers, which would provide a drone’s eye view of what’s going on inside the colony.

At the moment, Pooyanfar’s product is composed of off-the-shelf parts, rendering it a tad expensive. She hopes to find cheaper, simpler components so she’ll be able to hit her target demographic of beekeepers.

Plenty of updates and renovations are in the works, but it’s safe to say her product is generating quite a bit of buzz.