Yesterday we reported that Xiaomi has two new products launching today via its Mijia crowdfunding platform. The first of the product is a smart ukulele called the Populele. For those who don’t know what a Ukulele (yoo-kə-lay-lee) is; it is a musical instrument resembling a small guitar but smaller and usually with less strings. It is of Hawaiian origin but has now spread all over the globe.

Now that we have put the history class behind us, let’s dive into what Xiaomi’s Populele does. Say you want to start playing the ukulele, you might need to get a teacher who will have to sit you through hours of boring classes that are pretty difficult. However with the Populele, what you need is your smartphone and the companion app.

The app which works with devices running Android 4.3 and above or iOS 8.0 and above teaches you how to play the Populele. All you have to do is follow the LED lights in-laid on the fingerboard of the Populele as it lights up. Once you push a key on the app, the corresponding LED lights up on your Populele. After learning the basics, you can go ahead and  learn any of the over 100 songs that comes with the app, with regular practice you should be able to give a performance worthy of a standing ovation when next your friends come around or win the heart of your crush with a serenade. The product page even says 5 minutes is all you need to start playing.

Technical Specifications of the Populele

The Populele is made from high quality Indonesian rosewood and Italian Aquila nylon strings. It weighs just 500 grams and has a total of 72 LED lights in-laid on the fingerboard. It has a built-in 800mAh battery that charges via micro USB and Bluetooth 4.0 LE for easy pairing with your device. It also comes with a carrying bag.

Populele Price and Release Date

It costs just ¥399 (~$58). At the moment it has reached 397% of its crowdfunding goal which is quite impressive. Info on the crowdfunding page says shipping should start on the 28th of March.

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Xiaomi has released it’s first mouse which is the first computer peripheral that you can buy for the Mi Notebook Air (not counting the mechanical keyboard).

The Xiaomi Mouse has a lot going for it. The design is unusual. The buttons and scroll key which are made from ABS plastic are housed in a circle symmetrical to the underside that holds the sensors. The circle is a part of one metal body that is shaped like a keyhole.

The body is made from sand-blasted anodized aluminium, a design similar to that used for Apple Macbooks. The manufacturing process helps prevent the mouse from scratches and wear. And since it is aluminium it is light as well, weighing just 77.5g.

The underside of the Xiaomi Mouse is where the power switch, bluetooth module and optical sensor are located. Xiaomi says the high-precision sensor has a 95% accuracy and you can even use it on a surface with frosted glass or fabric. The mouse can be paired via Bluetooth (Bluetooth 4.0 LE) or WiFi (2.4GHz) and even supports connecting to two devices at the same time. Range is 10 meters though and there is a 3V battery that powers it.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi Mix Gets Teardown Treatment

The Xiaomi Mouse is compatible with Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 devices. It costs just ¥99 ($15) and will go on sale on the 11th of November.

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Meizu launched a new speaker (not the Meizu Gravity) called the Lifeme BTS30 alongside the MX6 flagship today with a price tag of 399 Yuan ($60).

While the price tag is affordable, Meizu says it is a premium speaker that has the build quality of a 3000 Yuan ($448) device. The speaker which has a simple design similar to transistor radios of old without the knob and dials, weighs 685 grams, has 3D sound technology, and comes in silver and black.

The speaker uses Bluetooth 4.0 and has a range of up to 10 meters. There is a Texas Instruments TPA3130 amplifier IC in it and a battery that can last for up to 7 hours.

The power button, volume rocker, and call button (just in case you want to use this for answering calls) are positioned on the right. We can’t tell if the buttons are aluminium like the rest of the body or if they are made out of plastic until we get our hands on a unit.

Meizu has added 2 anti-slip pads to the base so that it doesn’t slide off your desk when pumping out sounds.

While it does look really nice, the only fault we can see is the absence of an auxiliary port. It would have been an added feature.

RELATED: Meizu’s Semi-Transparent and Floating Speaker

Meizu is offering the speaker for 339 Yuan ($50) if you buy it alongside the MX6.

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       Welcome to the age of smartwatches. In 2013—and even before—more companies started releasing different kinds of smart watches.  Now, the No.1 G2 smart watch is on sale at Comebuy. That time when watches can only tell time is long and gone. Now, you can use the No.1 G2 to also make calls, send or receive texts, have a contact list, take photos, record audio and videos, play music, etc. It even comes with a heart rate monitor, pedometer, and other kinds of functions to maintain your health. 

       One of the No.1 G2 smartwatch’s strengths is that it can be connected to smartphones via Bluetooth 4.0 which provides not only the traditional Bluetooth technology, but high-speed performance, and low power consumption. It can also be connected to the iPhone and almost of every kind of Android phone there is. Overall, it can be used with 95% of smartphones on the market! The Samsung Galaxy Gear, on the other hand, can only be used with Galaxy devices that use Android 4.3 and up (Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1). 

        It sports a pretty 1.54-inch screen and a colorful and individualistic design, as well as a simple and easy-to-carry shape. The bands come in all kinds of colors which you can select to individualize your watch. This watch uses a steel case that has a very imposing nature that should immediately get everyone’s attention whether you are at the office or exercising. 

       As a high-end smart device, a scratch-proof display screen is a must. For this, No.1 decided to use a sapphire glass which has better scratch resistance than the Corning Gorilla Glass. A sapphire glass has a hardness level of 9 and has been used for other high-end smartphone screens and the iPhone 6’s home button. It also has an IP67 rating (water immersion up to 1m). 

       The No.1 G2 smartwatch, as mentioned before, can help you improve your health and track down any progress made on it. The pedometer can display information about how far you have walked in real time, and can help you meet your workout goals. It can also advise you to stop sitting for so long and to let go of any unhealthy habits. It can also monitor your sleep. 

Buy No.1 G2 for $70.99

USE COUPON: Spring6

Source: NO.1

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