Back to school often means great deals on a new computer. But it’s also a good time to check out new technology that just may make life easier for another year as a student.
With the Denver area being a hub for Internet of Things devices that connect gadgets to the internet, we’re highlighting a few from local companies and then some.
PERSONAL PANIC BUTTON — If danger strikes while walking back to the dorm at night, this little panic button will get you help fast-ish. Revolar’s $99 device clips discreetly on a backpack strap, T-shirt or necklace. With built-in Bluetooth, Revolar uses the power of a smartphone to alert up to five friends of danger via text message. Push twice and its texts friends that you need help. Three times and the message says you’re in danger. For now, you can’t program it to contact 911. That’s partly to prevent mistakes but also for now, 911 operators prefer calls. Revolar is working on a fix though. An inadvertent push can be canceled with a pre-determined 4-digit code. But a real push and a friend gets a map of your location so they can call 911 while you figure out how to get out of the situation. This Denver company had a fascinating start with teacher Jacqueline Ros brainstorming after her teenage sister was assaulted. Ros is now co-founder and Revolar just got picked up by Best Buy. See our special Tech+ video on how Revolar works at dpo.st/techvideos
SMART BACKPACKS — They are not cheap. But a handful are around, including The Colfax from Denver’s Co.Alition. The company offers custom bags to add enough wireless energy to recharge two or three smartphones, plus expand digital storage to include a 2 TB wireless hard drive. Total? $409. Greenwood Village’s eBags is working with startup Twyst on its own smart bag but that’s not quite ready. However, a budget-worthy item is the $5 connected luggage tag, also from eBags. Just register the plastic NFC-chip tag on eBags mobile app, scan in the QR code and link it to some contact info. Should you lose the bag, just hope a kindly stranger with a smartphone find its and scans the tag to find its owner.
HOMEWORK HELPER — Ask the new Amazon Tap a question and there’s a good chance Alexa will answer. (Mental Floss asked “Alexa, what is the meaning of life?” “42,” Alexa replied.) Think about the homework-buddy potential! Amazon Tap is the little sister to Amazon.com’s Echo. Both answer homework questions. Both let you order a pizza from Domino’s, call for an Uber ride, reorder laundry detergent on Amazon and get the current weather report. But at $130, Tap is cheaper. It also requires one extra step: tapping a button (Echo listens for a “wake” word). Tap is also portable and includes a charging cradle.
KEY FINDER — One reason to cheer for the Internet of Things is it can find lost things. Like keys. And there are a ton of companies hoping to be your key finder. One of the more prominent makers is Tile, a white square that attaches to a keychain, slides into a wallet or attaches to another easily lost item. Sync it to Tile’s mobile app, and then your phone can tell a lost Tile to make itself known via an audible alarm. Or vice versa. Press the button on Tile and it rings your phone. There’s more. Away from home, Tile relies on the crowd of users. A lost Tile can ping any nearby Tile user and send a message back to the mothership to then notify you of its location. One caveat? You can’t replace the battery. You’ll have to buy a new Tile when the old one dies. TrackR is an alternative offering nearly the same features plus a removable battery. Both Tile and TrackR are about $25.
THE LAST CABLE YOU’LL NEED — Anyone who owns a newer iPhone knows the issue. It doesn’t use the common micro USB charging cable. But no need to carry two cables anymore. A company called Tylt devised a cable that has both a Lightning connector and a micro-USB connector at one end. The $25 Tylt Flyp-Duo goes even further. The other end has a regular USB connector that is reversible. That means it fits into a USB port right side up or upside down. No more struggling to jam it in the wrong way. Super useful. Find it at tylt.com.
