Ryobi Phone Works modules connect to your iOS or Android phone through the headphone jack and can be controlled through the free app.
Thursday, October 09, 2014
First Look: Ryobi Phone Works
Ryobi Phone Works modules connect to your iOS or Android phone through the headphone jack and can be controlled through the free app.
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9 comments:
Awesome, personally I want to inspection scope and laser measure. My only inhibitions about these are the manufacturer, if Ryobi didnt make it, they might be good tools. Its a shame that someone else didnt make them.
As for practicality to use them in a shop or construction setting, I think the smart phone might be the limiting step in their usefulness. also, I believe they only fit an iPhone 4 or 5.
Personally, I don't have much use for these products, but I could see someone who uses these tools often could benefit from this package. The inspection scope, laser measure, stud finder, and earphones seem like the most practical and useful items. Someone could carry around a small bag of attachments that connects with their smartphone rather than having a separate unit for each device. We tend to use the leaser measures often and this technology would allow for easy usage. I wonder how good the quality is being only $20-100 for each tool. Would love to test out the products and see how they compare to the actual thing.
I absolutley disagree with Chris, just because this is ryobi there is no reason to assume that these tools are useless. Everyone enjoys different brands for different reason. I think that some of these are great ideas, I would gladly carry the inspection camera in my bag. The bigger issue with this set of tools is that they are used with a phone and the price. Factoring the $300 give or take for the phone, $100 for the camera; A recording capable inspection camera by solar eclipse is only $80. there is also the issue of the set up time for these tools. Bosch has a stand alone laser distance measure that is bluetooth enabled to feed measurements to your Ipad or phone. I suspect the reason for the wired nature of the tools is that all of these are un powered and the wireing is more so for the power then the data needs. I would be willing to pay a little more for a wireless standalone version. I am curious how accurate the pointer is for use of a plum bob or a laser level.
I agree with Sean. For the current price of the tools, I would expect there to be some sort of wireless connectivity. It would be a terrific tool to have in use during the actual run of the show to monitor the entire space of a performance during the actual run. Cameras placed near motors and cue positions could all be monitored remotely from the tech booth. Positioning and distance relations could be brought up instantly at the stage manager's podium. Facilities could even use it to monitor the temperature and humidity of a room without having to actually go inside of it. Flying truss could constantly broadcast to your phone if they are holding level or not. Truly the possibilities are endless.
I do hear what Chris is saying though. I would personally feel much more secure about this product if Ryoni partnered up with some other tech company with more experience in the iOS field and the world of wireless and bluetooth connectivity.
It’s certainly an interesting collection of tools with interesting functionality. What I don’t like is that not only do this items need to be plugged into my device, they are also battery powered, if they’re battery powered, why can’t they be wireless? Additionally I do have reservations about the quality of these tools. Ryobi isn’t traditionally known for manufacturing high quality power tools, more for the DIY home user or “weekend warrior” if you will. Even if Dewalt of Craftsman released these I would trust them a little bit more, and especially so if a company like Festool produced them. Having said all that, the price point still isn’t really worth it. I would much rather spend two or three times as much for standalone versions of these products that are proven and from more reputable manufacturers, they to buy into this set. Finally, my biggest beef with this selection goes back to the fact that they aren’t wireless…especially the noise cancelling headphones. By using this product you’re attaching a cord to your body that could easily get snagged or tangled on shop equipment, if anything, they’re more dangerous.
Since the days of technology are constantly evolving and we tend to always have our phones on us, and most of us have a smartphone, why not be able to use it for what we’ve wanted to but just quite wasn’t ready. Well now we can, Ryobi has come up with what I’m sure many people have thought about. I guess once you have all of the different tools that connect to your smartphone, it’s just a matter of keeping track of their whereabouts. I mean having a laser ruler, to measure a board I think is a little bit easier to use than pulling out a tape measure wherever you go, you keep your phone on you, just about all the time, but you tend to set a tape measure down, and then have to figure out where you put it. I’m sure as these type of advances keep moving forward, it will become even easier to use in the long run.
A Rigid inspection camera with its very own screen retails for 100 bucks too, and doesn't require you to risk your $500 smart phone in a working setting. And you can get a self contained moisture meter for $30 as well. Of course I like the idea of linking various tools to my phone, especially for the convenience of storing data on a central device that I'm used to interfacing with, but clearly the price point isn't there yet. I did a project this summer where we had to take thermal readings with an IR thermometer, but the findings were recorded on a sheet of paper, and were often confused and with poor time record keeping. The Ryoba set up would have allowed us to populate a spreadsheet natively and keep a much better record. I see this technology going in a slightly different way, where inspection devices like this link via bluetooth to your phone, not as an essential part of operating, as in using the screen, but only as a data storage platform. That way the phone can stay in your pocket orb toolbox and not be subject to the hazards of the work site.
These seem like a really great collection of tools, but I'm not sure if I would buy them for those prices. As Chris said above, I have reservations about buying Ryobi tools. It's not that they're not good, but the company has a reputation for selling tools that are cheap, and even though they work they still feel cheap. My issue with buying this line of tools is that if Ryobi is making it, besides expecting them to feel cheap, I also expect them to be cheap. Previous commenters were comparing these to similar products made by other companies which were in some cases cheaper than these Ryobi tools. These smartphone add ons shouldn't cost more than a pair of headphones, and yet some of them cost more than certain smartphone models. Also, unlike most of the commenters above, I rather like the idea of the tools being based around an iphone. If they are backwards compatible, I think these tools and an old iphone 3 would be a solid combination.
These are pretty cool, while not all the tools make the most practical sense, it is neat to see a known company making foray into this market. As we go on I am sure we will see more and more of these smartphone, smartwatch, or smart hardhat compatible tools that will do really really neat things. I personally am interested in the laser level and the IR thermometer, both seem like really cool uses of a smartphone.
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