Stratio LinkSquare Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

Not sure if that steak you bought five days ago is still fresh? A $299 handheld device called the LinkSquare wants to give you more knowledge about what you’re about to eat, drink or buy by analyzing food, liquor, medicine — or jewelry, or any other item that you want to double-check for freshness or authenticity, according to its creator, a company called Stratio. ($299 converts to about £215 or AU$385; Stratio ships internationally.)

The Stratio LinkSquare is a spectrometer, a device that uses light to analyze the structure of an object. It fits in your hand and is reminiscent of those fat crayons you used in elementary school. The LinkSquare has a small square window at its tip that shines a light on the object in question, then records the wavelengths it receives back in what’s called a spectral fingerprint. Every material has a unique spectral fingerprint, and the LinkSquare uses machine learning to recognize that fingerprint and show you the matching result on a companion app.

There’s a growing number of companies that have brought the technology of spectrometers out of the lab and into your pocket. A German lighting manufacturer called Osram has created a chip that can turn third-party devices like your smartphone into a scanner with the same capabilities as the LinkSquare. The Osram chip has appeared in other scanners like the Scio, which has been used to analyze food and provide nutritional information. And German appliance manufacturer Bosch has created a concept device called the X-Spect, a scanner that can identify fabrics and stains and send cleaning instructions to internet-connected Bosch washing machines. (We’ve asked where the LinkSquare’s maker sourced its chip and will update this once we hear back.)