OnePlus loves building up hype for its affordable phones – and generally, with reason – but that excitement soon dies down when you realize how hard the invite-only shopping system makes actually buying one of the phones.
Thankfully things will be a bit easier this Black Friday weekend: the OnePlus 2 will be sold without the need for an invite from November 27 to November 30.
If you’re not familiar, the OnePlus 2 sells for just $329 yet comes with borderline flagship specs: a 5.5-inch HD display, fingerprint sensor, 3 GB of RAM, 16GB of torage and a Qualcomm 810 processor. A 4 GB of RAM, 64GB of storage model is available for $379.
We thought found the phone to be an impressive performer – especially if you’re a fan of near-stock Android – although its design was a little uninspiring. For more, check out our review here.
➤ @OnePlus via VentureBeat
Nourish is a countertop device that’ll mix dietary supplements based on your fitness data
Nutrition is complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. At least, that’s what the folks at FitNatic are trying to prove with the Nourish , a personal nutritionist, ingredient mixer and supplement store all in one, launching today on Indiegogo .
https://vimeoom/134201899
The basic concept is relatively simple – Nourish is a box-with-a-touchscreen that contains a selection of nutrients it mixes into your own personal health cocktail. There are 16 of these nutrient ‘seeds,’ and you can customize them based on your preferences and needs.
But it does a lot more than just arbitrarily mix ingredients. Nourish sources information from your health apps and fitness trackers to produce the right nutrient blend for your particular goals.
It takes into account your foods, exercise types, heart rate, sleep patterns, blood pressure and more, and delivers what it considers to be an ideal blend based on nutrients you might be missing, or ingredients it think will complement your activity.
For example, if it noticed you logged a strength-training workout in MyFitnessPal, it’ll know that you’ll probably want some protein in your diet. In the morning, the companion app might suggest a adding a shot of caffeine. If your food that day didn’t contain a recommended amount of Omega-3s, it might add some into your blend. The more information you provide, the smarter it becomes.
It’s a pretty sleek device, too. It’s a shiny black box that should fit on most countertops. The top of the device displays all your nutrient seeds surrounded by colorful LEDs (which you can turn off).
Meanwhile, the front is dominated by a 15-inch touchscreen, which displays your health stats along with a variety of customizable widgets. The front of the device also slides up to reveal your cocktail of nutrients, which are dispensed into a ‘pod’ funnel that you squeeze to pour the mix into water or a beverage of your choice.
Having had the chance to see it in person, it wouldn’t look out of place on your kitchen coutertop, though it’ll definitely attract attention.
The Nourish team tells me the aim is to make nutrition simple, especially for people who are just getting started with fitness or setting new health goals.
When you commit to improving your health and start Googling the best way to go about it, there’s an overwhelming amount of information to sort through – casein or whey protein, coffee or green tea, etc. Much of it doesn’t even directly apply to you; someone who gets most of his exercise by running will have different needs than someone purely on a strength training routine.
Of course, the device isn’t able to predict everything, so you can customize the mixes as well. If you’re feeling tired for some reason, you can add a shot of caffeine to your blend. It’s also customizable based on your eating habits; it takes into account dietary restrictions such as allergies or intermittent fasting.
FitNatic says each pod contains enough of a supplement to last about a month, and the device will alert you when a seed is running low, or you can sign up for automatic refills. It’s also smart enough to mix things up if it thinks you’re building a tolerance to a particular supplement.
The IndieGogo campaign went live today, with a flexible funding goal of $65,000. An early bird special will net you the device plus 1 month’s supply of nutrients for $299, after which the same offer will cost $399.
Delivery is currently scheduled for January 2016. The usual reservations about crowdfunding apply, but at least I saw a working prototype. If successfully funded and delivered as promised, Nourish could make a big difference in helping you reach your fitness goals and make some sense out of nutrition.
➤ Nourish [Indiegogo]
LG’s SmartThinQ Sensor lets you control your old home appliances remotely
LG has announced the SmartThinQ Sensor, a device that can monitor your home appliances and allow you to control them from anywhere with an app.
The company says its latest offering can sense vibration and temperature when attached to devices and beam those readings back to your phone.
For example, when attached to a washing machine, the device can let you know when a laundry cycle is complete. Stick it on your fridge and it’ll alert you when a particular food item is about to expire.
The SmartThinQ Sensor will be on display at IFA 2015 in Berlin next month, along with connected appliances like an oven and air conditioner. LG hasn’t yet announced a launch date or pricing for the device.
➤ LG to unveil smart sensor, Alljoyn smart home products at IFA 2015 [LG Newsroom]