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Techhive: kickstarter spotlight: ipad airplane stand and twoairplay audio receivers by 123wert sdfsf
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Techhive: kickstarter spotlight: ipad airplane stand and twoairplay audio receivers by 123WERT SDFSF
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Article Posted: 05/13/2013 |
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Techhive: kickstarter spotlight: ipad airplane stand and twoairplay audio receivers |
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Business,Business News,Business Opportunities
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[ Kickstarter is changing the way tech products get made, but it'shard to tell which projects are worth backing. For every sure-firehit, there are dozens of flawed ideas and inexperienced teams. Our Kickstarter Spotlight series highlights a few projects worth checking out, and gives youan idea how they might turn out. ] In this installment of Kickstarter Spotlight, we take a look at aniPad stand that connects to a closed airline tray table, and twocompeting AirPlay audio receivers.
Arctic Flight If you fly a lot and you own an iPad, Arctic Flight (funding through June 19) is like a dream product. It s aconfigurable stand that elevates and tilts your iPad so you cantype on the bluetooth keyboard underneath it. Translation: you canactually use the thing on the little tray table, which is anexercise in frustration with laptops. The prototype looks kind of crummy, though it smartly changes toseveral configurations you can rotate your iPad to portrait orlandscape, lower it if you prefer to type using the on-screenkeyboard, and even dock the stand behind the raised table toturn your iPad into an eye-level back-of-seat entertainment device.Perfect for watching movies.
I don t know if they ll sell a lotof these at $75 each, but I know I want one. They could make akilling selling these at airports. Confidence level The low-rent video and prototype design does not inspire a lot ofconfidence, and the creator, Anton Jachim, doesn t have a lot ofmanufacturing experience. He does have some excellent enginneringchops, though.
If the future revisions show more polish, this couldbe a must-have product for frequent fliers. At the time of thiswriting, the project has a long way to go to meet its goal. Jason Cross TuneBridge AirPlay receiver Apple s AirPlay technology lets you wirelessly stream audio from an iOS device or iTunes toany AirPlay-enabled receiver, including a growing number ofthird-party speaker systems and home-theater receivers. But if youdon t already have AirPlay-enabled gear, the least expensive wayto add AirPlay to your home-entertainment arsenal is to buy an $99Apple TV (which provides only a digital-audio connection) or a $99AirPort Express Base Station (which has an analog/digital audiooutput). The TuneBridge AirPlay receiver (funding through June 27) aims to offer a budget alternative, withan estimated price of $60.
This compact wireless device can bepowered by a simple 5V USB port or charger and offers two audiooutputs: a 3.5mm (1/8-inch) stereo minijack, and standardleft/right RCA. Connect it to your existing stereo or speakersystem, use the company s TuneBridge iOS app to join the device toyour wireless network, and you ve got a new AirPlay destination. Why not just get a refurbished AirPort Express directly from Applefor $69, which will also let you set up or extend a wirelessnetwork? The TuneBridge adds a unique Direct mode. Switch toDirect, and the TuneBridge creates its own wireless network.
Join this network from your computer or your iOSdevice, and you can stream audio via AirPlay even if there s noexisting wireless network. This should make the TuneBridgeappealing for homes or businesses that don t (or can t) set uptraditional Wi-Fi networks, as well as for using the TuneBridgewhen outdoors, traveling, or otherwise out of range of Wi-Fi. (Whenusing an iOS device, you can continue to use 3G/4G dataconnections.) Confidence level The TuneBridge s price and ad hoc option make it appealing forthose looking to add AirPlay to their existing audio system or whowant to be able to use AirPlay when an existing Wi-Fi networkisn t available. However, the creators don t make it clear ifthey ve licensed AirPlay from Apple or simply reverse-engineeredthe technology.
If the former which would help explain the lowprice I wonder if Apple s legal watchdogs will be barking at thedoor. Dan Frakes PlayGo AP1 Hi-Fi Digital Music Player Like the TuneBridge, the PlayGo AP1 Hi-Fi Digital Music Player (funding through July 5) is an AirPlay audio receiver. But whilethe TuneBridge offers AirPlay on a budget, the PlayGo AP1 is aimedat the audiophile crowd and priced accordingly and offersstreaming options beyond AirPlay. With a special Kickstarter price of $225, the AP1 is almostfour times as expensive as the TuneBridge, but in addition toAirPlay support, the AP1 lets you stream audio using the DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) protocol and via USB, giving you more more playback options.
Thecreator, Bicom, claims that the AP1 s audio circuitry (Burr-Browncomponents) is on a par with that found in expensive audio gear,and the USB connection lets you play audio directly no audiocables involved from a computer or even an iPod or iOS device.(The USB port supplies power for charging iOS devices and iPods.)There s also an ethernet port for direct connection to yournetwork, and DNLA support allows you to stream audio from anyDLNA-compliant device, including network-attached-storage drives.The AP1 also supports Universal Plug and Play and Microsoft s PlayTo. Because the AP1 works with non-AirPlay sources, it has to supportmultiple audio formats. Bicom says the device can handle bit ratesup to 24-bit at 96kHz, and supports AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, MP3,WAV, and WMA formats. It sports both analog (left/right RCA) anddigital (Toslink) outputs in the back, as well as capacitativeplayback-control buttons on top.
There s also an IR receiver forremote control, although a remote isn t included. Confidence level The AP1 should be of interest to those who need the flexibility ofmultiple streaming technologies, although I suspect the realappeal assuming the device lives up to its audio-qualityclaims will be to audiophiles who balk at the audio quality ofexisting AirPlay-enabled products and Apple s AirPort Express. DF. I am an expert from Furniture & Furnishings, usually analyzes all kind of industries situation, such as country pine table , coat umbrella stand.
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