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ThermoWorks' latest Thermapen can measure food temperature in under one second
ThermoWorks has unveiled a new cooking thermometer that gets the temperature in just one second — ideal if you're in a rush.
Whirlpool's smart thermometer ensures your food is cooked properly
Whirlpool wants to be sure you never serve an undercooked roast again. Its Yummly subsidiary is introducing a Smart Thermometer that uses sensors to check the temperatures of both the oven and your food, letting you know through a mobile app when they reach the right temperature. You won't have to periodically check your turkey to know when it's ready to eat.
The best probe thermometer
By Michael Sullivan This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to probe thermometer. After spending 20 hours testing probe thermometers and speaking with experts—including cookbook authors, chefs, butchers, and a New York City Department of Health employee—we think most cooks just need a regular meat thermometer. But if you're set on getting a probe thermometer to measure the temperature of food while it cooks, we recommend the ThermoWorks Dot. In our tests, the Dot was the fastest and most accurate at reading temperatures. Its simple design and straightforward controls made it easier to use than the competition. The ThermoWorks Dot is accurate, affordable, and easy to use. It has a very wide temperature range, as it's capable of measuring from -58 °F to 572 °F. It also has one of the longest probe cables of any of the thermometers we considered. The digital display on the ThermoWorks Dot is easily readable, and we thought the controls were straightforward and intuitive. We also like its backlit screen, which is handy for outdoor grilling at night. If you're looking for a few more helpful features, the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm includes a timer and volume adjustment as well as a backlit screen. In our tests, though the ChefAlarm was a couple of seconds slower than the Dot at reading temperatures, it was just as accurate. We especially liked the convenience of the timer on this model. The digital unit is also hinged, so you can lay it flat or adjust it to a specific angle. Unlike our other picks, the ChefAlarm thermometer comes with a case to hold the probe and the digital unit. Unlike our other picks, the ThermoWorks Smoke can operate via a wireless receiver and has two channels to accommodate multiple probes: one probe to take the internal temperature of the meat, and an air probe for measuring the ambient temperature of the oven, grill, or smoker. In our tests, the Smoke maintained its wireless connection for an unobstructed distance of 350 feet. It has a backlit screen and volume control, but no timer, and because it's $60 more than our main pick, we recommend it only for grill and smoker enthusiasts.
The best deep fryer
By Michael Sullivan This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full deep fryer guide here.
Ear-worn thermometer makes it easier to care for sick kids
When little kids are ill, it's one of the least pleasurable experiences that it's possible to endure. After all, you're often asked to monitor their temperature on an hourly basis to keep watch for things getting worse. But the kids themselves are often too young to understand why you're shoving that big scary device in their ear.
Philips' new personal health tech includes a fitness watch
Watch out, Withings -- Philips wants to move in on your turf. The Dutch tech giant is launching a slew of personal health devices that take advantage of its expertise in health tech while seeming more than a little familiar. The centerpiece is arguably the $250 Health Watch. The wearable tracks your activity, heart rate and sleep patterns like numerous fitness trackers, but with a few nice twists. You're getting "clinically validated" data, Philips promises, and you can enter your calorie intake either on the watch or in the companion Android and iOS apps. You also have the option of Apple Watch-like (though thankfully customizable) reminders to stand. Just don't expect a full-on smartwatch -- this is more of a health device that happens to talk to your phone.
Smart thermometer is ready to track your kid's fever all day long
You no longer have to disturb your kid's sleep just to see if that fever is getting any better. Months after its CES debut, Blue Spark's TempTraq thermometer is available for a fairly reasonable $25. The Bluetooth patch keeps tabs on a child's temperature in relative comfort for a full 24 hours, giving your progeny a chance to rest instead of enduring yet another probe in the ear. It can warn you if the temperature gets above a certain level, and you can use the Android and iOS apps to log when your tiny patient eats or takes medicine. This won't track the illness from start to finish, unfortunately, but it might be all you need for that one day when you're worried your little one's condition might get worse.
Smart, touch-free thermometer gets temperatures for almost anything
There's no shortage of smart thermometers out there, but they tend to have one or more catches: many only work in certain conditions, aren't very pocketable or require some kind of contact. JoyWing's upcoming Wishbone may just tackle all of those problems in one fell swoop. The tiny, Y-shaped gadget plugs into your smartphone's audio jack and uses an infrared sensor to gauge temperatures without contact, regardless of whether you're pointing it at your baby's forehead, a hot drink or the great outdoors. It should be both accurate and fast (just two seconds to get a reading, the company claims), and the matching Android and iOS apps will let you track conditions over time.
The company behind Moto's smart tattoo made an NFC baby thermometer
We wouldn't blame you if the name VivaLnk didn't instantly come to mind, but you'd probably say "Ohhh, them!" if we tell you that it made Motorola's phone-unlocking temporary tattoo. Now, however, the company is deciding to get in on the temperature-monitoring game with this cute NFC sticker. The eSkin Thermometer pairs an NFC chip with a temperature sensor that'll tell you how warm your munchkin is in under three seconds. Oh, and it's shaped like a bear, so that's something.
Smart pacifier tracks your babies and their fevers
No parent likes to see their tyke battle a little sickness, only to have to exacerbate the little one's discomfort with constant thermometer probes. But what if temperature monitoring could actually be a soothing experience for the baby? Enter Pacifi, a child's pacifier with a thermometer built into its silicone teat and a Bluetooth chip that sends temperature readings to a paired smartphone. From within the Pacifi app for Android and iOS, you can view a live reading and see previous ones in a timeline graph, allowing you to track improvement or decline in the child's condition. This data can also be easily shared -- with your doctor, for example. And if your child happens to be on a course of treatment already, you can set dosing reminders from within the app, too.
This Bluetooth thermometer patch could bring an end to infant ear violations
Since they don't yet have the power of speech, babies often have difficulty telling you when they're getting ill. For instance, if your munchkin starts running a fever in the night, you won't know about it until they start screaming, and sticking a probe into their ear won't make them very happy either. That's where TempTraq comes in, a thermometer in the form of a soft, stick-on patch that transmits your little one's vital signs straight to your smartphone.
CES 2015: TempTraq Wearable Bluetooth Thermometer
While this new product just announced at CES 2015 is not yet approved by the FDA, it's something that a lot of parents will be clamoring for. TempTraq is a wearable soft patch Bluetooth thermometer that works with an iOS or Android app to let parents track body temperature accurately for up to 24 hours. Have a couple of sick kiddos? The app lets you track their temperature remotely, providing a color-coded indication of the severity of the fever. You can even get an alert if the child's temperature reaches a certain level. As you'd expect, you can use the app to send a temperature chart to your doctor, and there's a way to make notes as you check the temperature to add information such as when drugs are administered. No pricing is yet available for the patches, but if you're interested you can sign up on the TempTraq website for notification when the device makes it to market.
Reseachers are testing a breathalyzer for cancer
For doctors, catching lung cancer can be tricky even on a good day. That's why a new study presented in front of the European Respiratory Society in Munich today seems so titillating: you see, researchers may have figured out a way to detect lung cancer in patients just by measuring the temperature of their breath.
Thermodo's miniscule thermometer dongle is fun and useful
Over the past week I've had the opportunity to play with some fun little devices that let you quantify your surroundings. First, there was the Blue Maestro Tempo, a Bluetooth-enabled temperature-sensing device provides your favorite iOS device with temperature info. As I note in my review, it's accurate, but not exactly portable. Next was the WeatherFlow Wind Meter, a smartly-designed app-enabled anemometer that gives you an idea of how fast the wind is blowing. Now I'm looking at Thermodo, a really small app-enabled thermometer that plugs into the headphone port of your iDevice and communicates with an iOS app to give you an idea of the temperature near your iPhone or iPad. The basic black Thermodo is quite affordable for anyone who loves the outdoors, with a price tag of just US$29.99. An "anodized aluminium" version is available for $44.99, and is something that Jony Ive would probably be proud of. Thermodo is tiny -- just 0.4 inches in diameter and 1.4 inches long, weighing 0.2 ounces. That's with the keychain attachment; the actual device only projects out of your headphone port by about .4 inches. If you read my review of Tempo, you probably remember me talking about Ron, a friend who wants a small thermometer that works with his iPhone. Thermodo is exactly the device he was dreaming of, something he can clip onto a keychain and use when he wants a fairly accurate reading of temperature -- anywhere. To get the device working you just download the company's free accompanying universal iOS app and launch it. Your first indication that this might be a somewhat temperamental device comes with the series of startup screens that warn you that heat from your hand or iOS device may throw your temperature reading out of whack: Fortunately for me, I have two other devices in my office that I can use to check the temperature and they're both pretty well in sync -- one is the Netatmo Personal Weather Station, while the other is the recently reviewed Tempo. When I just turned on the Thermodo and started tracking the temperature, it showed the room that I am in at a balmy 70.4°F, climbing up to 72°F in a couple of minutes before settling at that level. The Tempo showed a constant 66.2°F, while the Netatmo stayed at a 67.1°F. So there wasn't too much of a discrepancy in the readings, although if I held the iPhone 5s and Thermodo in my hand, it started raising the temperature almost immediately. Fortunately, there are Thermodo settings you can use to compensate for the heat that your device and body put off. Turning on the compensation with a "regular" setting, the temperature was in sync with the Netatmo at 67.1°F. Pick up the phone, however, and the temperature started climbing again. The Thermodo product FAQs show that the developers are well aware of the need to keep the thermocouple in the device away from heat sources, as they recommend using an audio extension cable to insure an accurate reading. I found that if I just launched the app with compensation turned on and set the device down for a few minutes, it was pretty accurate but gradually drifted up out of range of the other devices. Using an extension cable, the Thermodo stayed at a fairly constant temperature. For weather geeks, outdoor enthusiasts, and iOS fans who want to prove to their significant others that it is really too hot/cold right now, Thermodo's just the ticket.
Thermodo unveils a mercury-free way to measure air temperature on your smartphone
If you're the type to eschew the weather report on your smartphone and just, you know, open the window instead, the Thermodo sensor and app that just launched on Kickstarter may be for you. The petite device inserts into (and draws power from) the audio jack of your iOS or Android handset / tab, measures the exterior or interior air temperature, then sends a corresponding audio signal to the mic input on your device. The companion app, along with developer Robocat's Haze and Thermo apps, interprets that signal and displays the temperature on your device -- or you can develop your own with the outfit's open source SDK. The project is now live on Kickstarter where a minimum $19 bid will get you one in black, with the company looking for $35k total for the tooling and materials needed to build them. You can scoot over to the video after the break for more, or check the source to grab one.
Netatmo Urban Weather Station tells iOS users when it's safe to brave the great outdoors (video)
We haven't seen weather stations garner the same level of clever mobile integration as other pieces of household gear -- like, say, thermostats. Netatmo wants its newly available Urban Weather Station to inject a similar dose of life into a category that some of us still associate with the thermometer by the window. The aluminum tube design certainly gives a fresh look to the WiFi-linked indoor and outdoor sensors, but the real trick is the matching iOS (and eventually Android) app. It's for more than just gauging the wisdom of biking to work: the free app tracks historical trends and shares them with fellow users in a network that Netatmo hopes will provide a better understanding of wider-scale and longer-term trends. The sensors go beyond just obvious air quality, humidity, pressure and temperature conditions as well, flagging noise levels and warning if the CO2 levels are high enough to warrant airing out the house. The $179 price for the Urban Weather Station isn't trivial, but neither is knowing just how well you can cope with your environment.
Pebble ties itself up in Twine: sounds so rustic, couldn't be any less (video)
Take an e-ink e-paper smartwatch that's got plenty of willing customers, throw in a WiFi-connected sensor box and well, imagine the possibilities. The founders behind Pebble and Twine hope you are, because they have announced that the pair will be connectable through the latter's web-based interface. This means you'll be able to setup text notifications to your wrist when your laundry's done, when someone's at your door and plenty more mundane real-world tasks. A brief video explains how it should all go down, but try not to get too excited -- pre-orders are sadly sold out.
USB Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer III makes leaving your basement apartment even less appealing
"Get up and go" is for the birds, man. But in the off-chance that your PC, home entertainment system and various gaming consoles weren't enough to keep you inside for days at a time, check out the upgraded version of Brando's USB Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer. The third iteration of the temperature gauging device gives you the sort of accuracy you just can't get from TV and internet forecasts. The thermometer can give you instant readings without having to install extra software -- you just hold down the caps and number lock keys and it will copy the current temperate to your clipboard. It can also send you the temperature via text message, for those times when you can't be bothered to start up the computer. The price of such glorious slothfulness? A mere $32, American.
Insert Coin: Twine connects your whole world to the internet
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. Wouldn't it be great if your laundry emailed you when it had finished? You got a tweet every time the room got too cold, or your basement sent you a text if it began to flood? "Easy," says the Arduino expert in the peanut gallery, but what about those with neither the time nor inclination to solder and program it from scratch? Fortunately, the gentlemen who founded Supermechanical feel our pain and have just the tonic for our maladies -- head on past the break to find out more.
Bushnell BackTrack D-Tour personal GPS takes you home, shows you how it got you there
We've seen our fair share of uncomplicated (and under-featured) GPS units, but the Bushnell BackTrack D-Tour throws in just enough tricks to make our inner techno-mountain-man salivate. The D-Tour does away with onboard maps and turn-by-turn directions for five simple waypoints and a digital compass. Lose your way? Just follow the arrow back to the campsite. When you get home, you can dump your hiking data into Bushnell's map application, which will show you exactly where you've been, how far you traveled, and how fast you trekked. Its also a built in digital compass, clock, thermometer, and altimeter. Not too shabby, but a bit steep at $120, considering you'll still need to provide your own maps. Hit the break for a video of the doodad's track recording and mapping software.
