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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