The word "smart" comes with an extent that it's not only Smartphones that are getting smarter. Cars are now capable of self-driving; Smart Homes can do basic duties with a simple touch of a button. Interestingly, technology and the human brain can topple borders when it comes to innovation; while it may only be the tip of the Internet of Things phenomena, everyday things are now connecting us to a unified interface.
Engadget recently reported that a team of engineers previously employed by Samsung have developed the Opus One, a Smart umbrella that could, well, predict whether it's going to rain or will Mr. Sun is going to shine down. The website described it as a "device" rather than a conventional thing that we use to protect us from the sometimes unpredictable weather.
What makes Opus One a smart device is that it connects to a Smartphone via Bluetooth and "pulls weather reports every morning." It's a simple enough process, and one might think that it doesn't take an umbrella (a smart one, at that) to tell the weather. But for what it's worth, the Opus One can be your constant companion, rain or shine.
Aside from the weather updates, the Opus One can also notify its users (or handlers, for that matter) when there's an incoming call or message. Its handle will vibrate, letting them know that "there's something you need to check". It also doubles as a Bluetooth tether: users will be informed when they have left either the umbrella or the device, behind.
The Opus One is powered by four AAA batteries that "will last for a year with normal use." The company is now looking for distributors to help them get the one of a kind umbrella outside of Korea and Japan. Either the Opus One or the $75 Ooombrella will make you look like a new age James Bond.
