The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced the release of Bluetooth 5.0 which will be an upgraded version of the current Bluetooth 4.2. It is expected to be released by the end of 2016 and will bring a whole lot of new and upgraded features that will change the way how we use Bluetooth.

What is New in Bluetooth 5?

One of the basic questions that everyone is asking is that what is new in the Bluetooth 5 and how it is better than its successor Bluetooth 4.2?
There are quite a few notable improvements in the new release. One of the best and the most talked about among them is the massive increase in the range. The range is expected to be increased four times. This will allow Bluetooth devices to pair even from a fair distance. The data transfer speed is also expected to increase two times which will allow you to transfer data smoothly and quickly among devices.

While the Rolltop all-in-one computing gadget is still a concept distant from reality, LG has made a Bluetooth keyboard which can be unrolled to unveil a full-sized, solid keyboard for your smart devices.

The keyboard automatically switches on and connects to the nearest smartphone/tablet (most probably only with LG's), a built-in folding stand also allows users to mount tablets up to ten inches big for laptop like usage. The LG Rolly keyboard will get launched this September in the US. and later to rest of the world, official demonstration video shared below.

Everything is getting smarter these days, so why not the most used medical equipment to monitor health - the thermometer. Winner of the 2014 G-Startup Competition and the "Everyday Health Award for Innovation in Personal Health" at CES, 2015 - The STEMP Smart Temperature Patch is the thermometer reinvented for the 21st century.

Open for crowd-funding support now at Indiegogo, the STEMP™ sensor, medical-grade adhesives, and smartphone apps work together seamlessly to provide immediate, accurate, continuous body temperature measurement. Think of it as the thermometer meets the band-aid.

We have seen portable power-banks and portable wireless speakers, but this first-of-its-kind charging case combines both to offer a 2500mAh battery and an hi-definition WiFi/Bluetooth speakers with multi-cast functionality neatly combined as an iPhone case.

Crowdfunded PERI Duo aims to solve two needs of mobile-phone users with a single product, more battery power and hi-quality wireless amplified sound. With an integrated hi-def DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and fully programmable single-chip DSP, the PERI Duo offers true EQ (equalization) settings through the embedded DSP firmware using the PERI Audio App. The versatile case not only provides 2500mAh additional power to your phone but also detaches to become an independent wireless speaker which can be used with Apple AirPlay or from any Bluetooth enabled Android phone. Another exciting feature is the Multicast feature, which allows you to stream your music to dozens of Duo cases more than 100 feet away simultaneously through peer-to-peer Wi-Fi without the need for a local network - imagine a multi-floor dorm or Beach party where you can be the DJ and stream your music to anyone who has a PERI Duo.

Today, its hard to imagine that for every job-to-be-done there isn't an appliance, tool, or flashy new phone app specifically designed for each situation.

This Thanksgiving for example, my mother-in-law showed off some of her newest kitchen gadgets, including a turkey lifting hook. The hook helps you take the turkey off the roasting rack and get it onto the serving plate. That's a pretty specific solution for an infrequent (although potentially challenging) job.

However, who hasn't experienced placing a soda, beer or bottle of wine in the freezer, just to have it freeze solid and sometimes explode into a sticky mess?

Thankfully the forward thinking innovators at Vibrance Technology in Austin Texas have invented a wireless gadget which does this job flawlessly; the Chill Lizard.

Just place the Chill Lizard on a drink, place the drink the freezer, and a wireless coaster buzzes and lights up when your drink is exactly the temperature you've chosen.

No timers. No anxiety. No exploded mess in your freezer.

Vibrance is trying drum up interest for the Chill Lizard via the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter. Check out their Kickstarter rewards, and silly videos.

The Chill Lizard has an elastic velcro band which fits virtually any sized container from a small energy drink to a 3 liter bottle of soda.

The wireless range extends outside of a standard all-steel refrigerator to cover the kitchen, garage, living room, back patio, and dining room (pretty much the whole house).

The device works with your phone via standard Bluetooth and comes with a free app. The app is reported to provide a digital temperature read out, and an estimated time to hit the selected temperature. The app can also be combined with other apps such as If-Then-Then-That (IFTTT) to perform more interesting alerts such as texting your mom, or posting your experience to Facebook.

While Raspberry Pi certainly is a cheap mini-computer, adding accessories to it blows up ownership costs a lot. While adding WiFi is relatively cheap, finding a compatible Bluetooth Low Energy 4.0 (BLE) for a bargain is hard. Luckily, I found the Orico BTA-403 Mini Bluetooth 4.0 Adapter Dongle which comes with CSR8510 Low Energy Chip and is compatible with Linux and Raspberry Pi despite being not listed as such in the description, this is certainly a must-have deal for $8 including worldwide shipping. Instructions for setup are as shared below.

If you are looking for an ultra-portable, wireless 2.1 speaker system having ruggedized industrial design with some excellent audio engineering Boombot REX is for you.

San Francisco startup Boombotix announced the Boombot REX, a Bluetooth ultraportable speaker in a rugged package with Bluetooth control, a microphone, and a built-in clip 2 weeks ago. In less than a week, they are funded 200%. The co-founders who are both techsavvy skiers and cyclists, founded Boombotix to create an alternative to headphones that was easy to transport and could bear any weather condition and everyday pitfalls. “We rethought how the portable speaker should be, and by doing so we focused tremendously on the feel of the product- from the size to the texture to the tuning of the audio so one can actually feel the sound while the device is in the palm of their hand.

The Boombot REX is housed in an rugged ABS shell built to withstand all conditions in a sophisticated package,” says Chris McKleroy, co-founder of Boombotix. REX is has a ruggedized, IP53 water resistant shell that fits in the palm of your hand. Built-in clip allows you to clip the speakers on your jacket, backpack, belt or anything you like, thus you can take it where ever you go with ease. Additionally, the Boombot REX offers Siri-compatible speakerphone functionality; the speaker can be used for phone calls in the harshest locations- without taking your mobile device out of your pocket.