Archinect - News

Is the Embr a true personal HVAC system?

2018-10-25T13:49:00-04:00

Five years ago we reported on a device invented by a group of students at MIT. This device, originally called "Wristify", was a small bracelet designed to heat or cool the wearer to achieve customized comfort, regardless of the surrounding environment. Today, after a few years of R&D, and with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign, we have Embr, the newly designed and branded "Thermostat For Your Body".

The original "Wristify" prototype from MIT

The new hardware looks like a (very) large, faceless watch. The unit itself is an aluminum heat sink with a carved fingerprint-like series of waves on the outer surface, topped with a thin button/light bar indicating the current heating/cooling status. The strap is a steel mesh bracelet, very similar to Apple's Milanese Loop watch band (or a less expensive knockoff).

I've been trying out a review model for a few weeks, mostly testing out the cooling features since I live in LA. I've also given the heating feature a few opportunities t...

Ceiling tile that wirelessly charges devices unveiled at CES 2017

2017-01-05T17:24:00-05:00

The days of having to purchase astonishingly expensive replacement charging plugs accidentally left behind on trips, or for that matter of lugging around charging plugs in general, may be over. At this year's CES in Las Vegas, licensing company Ossia is unveiling a drop ceiling tile that purports to wirelessly charge a variety of devices, depending of course on how close the device is to the tile. The more tiles, the chargier: up to four Cota Tiles can be combined to provide the maximum radius and charge to those battery-draining devices. As the press release explains:

Each Cota Tile contains Ossia's wireless power smart antenna technology that automatically powers Cota-enabled devices — from tablets to smoke alarms. Cota Tile has proven safe for operation around people, pets and plants. It is environmentally friendly and does not interfere with Wi-Fi or other wireless technologies while continuously streaming power to multiple Cota-enabled devices, even as they move around a room. C...

E Ink introduces display and new PocketBook tablet for use on the construction site

2013-12-03T11:38:00-05:00

"Our goal was to develop a device to be used on construction sites. We created a highly portable large format display device with a rugged and weatherproof case that could hold all the CAD drawings a team needs. This makes designs available virtually any place and any time,"

E Ink announces the 13.3" Fina E-ink Display in conjunction with Pocketbook announcing the new PocketBook CAD Reader. Utilizing the Fina display and running Android 4.04, the larger tablet was explicitly designed to display CAD drawings and be utilized in the field for construction. It utilizes touchscreen and a Wacom stylus input and is designed to be integrated with existing AutoCAD based applications. A case designed to withstand the stresses of construction. The tablet has a 1 Ghz dual-core processor, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB of storage, WiFi and 3g modules, and an 8000 mAh battery.

The tablet will be on display at the Autodesk University event in Las Vegas, NV, on December 5th.