Black & Decker charges into the 21st Century with the Smartech Battery line

A purveyor and manufacturer of quality power tools since the early 1900s, the Towson, Maryland-based Black & Decker announced this week that it’s entering into the smart battery industry with its new Smartech batteries.

A self-proclaimed combination of technology and DIY powered by Bluetooth, Smartech is not only a physical Black & Decker product but one that utilizes a companion smartphone application allowing users to get the most out of their devices. Still not sold? According to a press release, the Smartech Batteries are already an award-winning product, having taken home an Editor’s Choice Award at this year’s CES conference.

Though the batteries don’t function much differently than Black & Decker batteries of old, the Smartech line does utilize an innovative USB charging feature. When connected to the companion smartphone application, users have access to three separate categories: My Products, Messages, and Projects. With My Products, users have access to a list of their connected batteries, as well as one-touch interaction such as enabling or disabling said batteries, a quick view of their remaining battery life, and a “find me” feature for lost batteries.

Black+Decker

The Smartech application’s Messages feature is where owners can monitor the notifications of each connected battery. Black & Decker hopes that the My Products and Messages functionality, when used together, provide users a simple and efficient way to get the most out of their power tools and their batteries. In other words, never again will a rogue battery remain lost for more than a mere matter of minutes, and users can kiss goodbye the chance of grabbing an already dead battery.

Last, though certainly not least, is the app’s Projects component. With Projects, users can glean inspiration from Black & Decker’s continuously growing digital suggestion box of DIY ideas right on their phone. Moreover, the feature also recommends the correct tools for certain jobs, assuring that any at-home builder won’t start in on a project without the best equipment.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/24XV7bn
Rick Stella