PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Your old analog TV not receiving much these days?
Contact:
Altronics Distributors
Despite analog TV transmissions having progressively ceased right
across Australia (the last in 2015), many people have “hung on” to
their old analog TV sets – for a variety of reasons including the fact
that their even older VCRs etc still worked.
Many others have them in a wall unit or display cabinet where
a modern slim-line digital set might look completely out of place.
For these people (and it must be said for many other reasons)
Altronics have released two high definition (HD) Digital Terrestrial
Set Top Boxes from Dynalink. The “Digital” part means it receives all
digital television channels; the “Terrestrial” bit means they’re intended
for land-based (as distinct from satellite) transmissions.
The first of the two, the Dynalink A 2809, is tiny at just 120 x 90
x 27mm. While a 12V DC plugpack is included, as it’s powered by
12V DC it is obviously intended for a “mobile” market – caravanners,
campers and mobile homers, the boating fraternity and the like.
Output is either HDMI or A/V (composite).
(Head Office): 174 Roe St, Perth WA 6000
Tel: 1300 797 007
Web: www.altronics.com.au
It has an infrared remote control (included)
and despite its compact
size, a full range of user controls including EPG, program selection
including favourites and recording (via USB to an optional stick). It
is compatible with DVB-T and MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 HP<at>L4. Recommended retail price is $79.95
The secondset-top box is the Dynalink A 2856, which is mains
powered. A little larger (220 x 160 x 40), this one is aimed at the
home market, where the set-top box really can be on the top of the
set! It has all the features of its little brother and a few more besides,
such as coax and Cr/Pb and Cb/Pb connections along with stereo
audio and video plus HDMI. Similarly, an infrared remote control
is included and it too sports a USB port for recording. This one is
slightly cheaper at $69.95.
They are available through all Altronics stores and resellers.
Five Smart Gadgets To Turn Your House Into A Smart Home
We’ve unearthed five interesting “appliances” guaranteed to turn your house into the smart home of the future.
Some are so new they’re not yet available in Australia but we believe they’re not far away!
Philips Hue: On/off lighting just doesn’t cut it any more –
choose colour, tone intensity, create light recipes and much
more! Control Hue with your mobile device. Program and
save your favourite scenes! Starter
set (remote, wifi connector and three
lights) starts at around $US200.00
www.philips.co.uk/c-p/8718291547778/
hue-personal-wireless-lighting
Tesla Powerwall: If you have solar panels, why
not store that energy yourself instead of being
paid a pittance for it? Capacity of 7 or 10kW,
can be linked into other smart home devices.
About $US3000, available in Australia now.
www.tesla.com/de_DE/powerwall
BuddyGuard’s Flare: The next big thing for home security.
It’s a complete home security system in a single device,
powered by artificial intelligence. An HD camera and hitech sensors provide continuous coverage when you’re
not at home.
96 Silicon Chip
It can distinguish between friend
and foe and even recognise your
pets! www.indiegogo.com/projects/flareeasy-and-intelligent-home-security--2#/
updates
Any home can be a smart home: The SmartThings
Starter Kit has everything you need
to create and monitor your own smart
home in no time. Once you’ve set up
your Starter Kit, SmartThings lets you
connect with hundreds of compatible
smart devices for limitless possibilities.
www.samsung.com/us/smart-home
1aim’s SmartDoor: Brings a whole new meaning to “Open
Sesame”! Automatically opens doors
when the owner approaches with a
Bluetooth smartphone, etc – or you
can remotely open doors for visitors,
even if you’re not home! No more
searching for keys! https://1aim.com/
siliconchip.com.au
Take advantage of PCBCart’s value-added Prototyping PCB Assembly service
PCBCart offers full turnkey and consigned Prototyping PCB Assembly services.
Additionally, they follow
the same strict procedures
as full production PCB Assembly orders on Prototyping PCB Assembly orders so
that customers can evaluate
the project’s function and
performance.
Here are their specific procedures of their full turnkey
PCB assembly service:
Step One: Give a custom
quotation based on your
PCB design file & BOM, then confirm with you about
the price and rough build time.
Step Two: If you’re OK with the quotation and lead time,
they’ll move forward to run a DFM check and review your
PCB design file for possible issues that may affect manufacturability. As soon as any issue has been detected,
they’ll get in touch immediately to solve it with you.
Step Three: When those detected issues are fixed, they’ll
begin component procurement and PCB manufacturing
procedures.
Step Four: Then, they’ll start
populating components on
those boards exactly as you
designed.
Additionally, X-ray inspection, 100% AOI test and X-ray
test for BGA, IC programming,
Components cost-down and
Function test are all available
as custom options.
They’re now offering EXTREMELY low PCB assembly
labor cost if you let them fabricate and assemble PCBs at the same time.
Have a project ready for prototyping?
Feel free to disContact:
cuss with them by
PCBCart
writing to sales<at>
Floor 3rd/4th, Building #1, NO.163
pcbcart.com,–
Wu Chang Road, Yu Hang District, Hangzhou,
they’re always
China 310023
ready to serve you.
Iris Recognition
at 60cm away
Solar Panel USB Charger/
8000mAh Power Source
New York-based EyeLock
LLC has introduced new
technology that authenticates
identities at distances up to
600mm, even with glasses,
contact lenses and daylight. The technology is intended for
smartphones and mobile devices, as well as automotive,
healthcare and other edge-of-network applications. EyeLock’s
technology represents a breakthrough in proprietary software,
security, algorithms and optics and delivers the most secure,
reliable and user-friendly capabilities available in the market
today, outperforming all existing iris-recognition systems.
Uses are expected in financial services, healthcare, automotive, enterprise and government sectors, by delivering a solution to mitigate
Contact:
security threats
EyeLock LLC
while providing a
Level 12, 355 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10017
more convenient
Tel: (0011 1) 855 393 5625
way for consumWeb: www.eyelock.com
ers to interact.
Tel: +86 571 87013819 Web: www.pcbcart.com
They reckon it’s the handiest thing you
can have when you don’t have access to
mains (or even vehicle) power!
This “solar battery charger” can charge
or supply power to a range of small
devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, MP3 players and so on. Its dual
USB sockets means you can charge a
couple of devices at the same time.
You don’t need any power source
except the sun!
Along with an inbuilt LED torch, it
features an 8000mAh capacity battery, is waterproof, durable, light weight and has both short circuit
and over charge/
over temperature Contact:
protection. A cara- The Great MacHouse
biner and micro 2 12 Fraser St Glen Waverley VIC 3150
USB charging cable Tel: (03) 8692 0077
Web: www.machouse.com.au
are included.
Want a Microsoft HoloLens? Bad luck if you’re not in the USA. Unless . . .
Microsoft’s HoloLens has been getting
some rave reviews in the US . . . even at
$US3000, virtual reality enthusiasts (even
in Australia) have been clamouring to get
their hands on one!
But the HoloLens has been released
only in the US – they won’t sell one to an
overseas address. So if you REALLY must
have a HoloLens, the trick is to get your
own US address!
siliconchip.com.au
It’s not unusual to find geographic barriers placed by many manufacturers because
they don’t want to (or cannot) support their
product outside the USA. But that doesn’t
stop Australian consumers wanting one!
That’s where companies such as Big Apple
Buddy, a New York City-based “shopping
concierge”, comes in.
You simply tell Big Apple Buddy what you
want to buy and they search for it – then
send it direct to your door via Fedex, UPS
or DHL, meaning delivery to Australia can
take as little as one week.
There’s a minimum $US50 per order
service fee to take into account the legwork
required. They tell you the charges (including freight) up front, before proceeding to
purchase the goods you require.
Conact Big Apple Buddy via their website,
www.bigapplebuddy.com
SC
October 2016 97
