Month: December 2013

Categories
Imaging Technology Wearables

Panvu 3D chases less dorky wearable to snap panoramic 3D photos, video

The Premise. At life’s most breathtaking and exhilarating moments, you want to be able to focus on the now, not worrying about opening up the camera on your phone or tinkering with the settings of your DSLR. You want to capture the moment with your own eyes, and have a picture worthy of the remnants of that memory.

The Product. The Panvu 3D glasses are lightweight and sporty while boasting three integrated 15 megapixel cameras. By taking dual images, it can create 3D panoramic photos that capture even more than what the eyes can see. The images taken with the glasses can be sent directly to your smart phone via Bluetooth where their app (available for both iOS and Android users) creates a 3D panorama at the with a single tap. It can also shoot video in HD 1080p at 30 fps, with 8GB of memory and a 60 minute battery life.

The Pitch. The pitch video is a sequence of transitions between slides explaining the features of the Panvu 3D glasses, and beautiful landscapes of people taking life by the horns. However, it’s unclear if these photos were actually taken with the glasses, and some of them even look like generic stock photos. But even if you do put on your “Suspension of Disbelief” glasses for those photos, it’s concerning that nowhere on the page or the video is there a person actually wearing the glasses. The glasses run the risk of looking bulky and perhaps even being uncomfortable. Their pitch doesn’t mention anything that would dismiss those concerns.

The Perks. The standard 8GB glasses can be bought with a pledge of $110. That includes the Panvu 3D Glasses, interchangeable anaglyphic 3D glasses, hard case, remote, soft tissue, and an 8GB memory card. For an extra $20, you can get a 16GB memory card instead, but the real deal is the $150 pledge that will land you the Panvu 3D Extended Edition glasses with nearly triple the battery life.

The Potential. Whether their goal is reached or not, all pledgers will receive their Panvu 3D glasses since this is an Indiegogo Flexible Fund campaign. That’s reassuring considering they’re asking for $100,000 over the course of one month.  The glasses themselves are an interesting competitor to something like the GoPro or Looxcie HD wearable imaging camera. They may be able to give a better point-of-view perspective since they are integrated with the natural field of vision with potentially less bulk. But as mentioned earlier, the quality of the experience, as well as those of the images, will be tough to convey without head-on experience.

 

Categories
Tablet Accessories

GHold gives the iPad one-hand access

GHold CloseupA follow-on product from an Edingburgh design team that created a way for food servers to carry trays above their head with one hand, the G-Hold makes the iPad less awkward to hold in one hand. There are other such products, today and others coming, but some aren’t easily removable or rotatable. The launch video, which includes some cute scenes, shows some of the many scenarios for the product and (shaky) video shot while using it.  Creator Allison Grieve is offering the G-Hold with either an adhesive (£13) or microsuction (£19) back as well as integrated into a leather carry case expected for delivery in April 2014.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

Pocketable Torso helps your smartphone to charge, pose

The Premise. As smartphones have grown exponentially more powerful, battery life has been incapable of keeping up. Active smartphone users often have to charge their phone once or twice a day, and that means bringing a charger to wherever they need to go. The problem is, these chargers aren’t as portable as the devices they give life to.

The Product. A followup from the Portland team that delivered the similar Twig charging cable that gained over three times its funding goal, the Torso is the spork of charging devices. This all-in-one charging device is an extremely portable charging device for both iPhone and Android devices. At about the length of a thumb and the thickness of a Samsung Galaxy S4, the Torso can easily slide into your pocket discreetly with all your other essentials. The Torso also has moldable legs that allow it to double as a cord-wrapping device and triple as a tripod that props up the phone vertically. (And you’re not one of those folks who take vertical video, right?) Likely due to the thinness of the iPhone Lightning connector — which was not supported by the Twig — the iPhone version has a small grippy head to hold it steady; this reduces the flatness of the form factor somewhat.

The Pitch. The simple campaign video gets the point across straight away. It starts off by demonstrating the issue we’ve all faced with tangled cords and charging cables, and comparing that to the simplicity that the Torso provides.

The Perks. Backers can pick up the miroUSB verison of the Torso for Android and Windows Phones for $17, a 30-pin version for older iPhones and iPods at $17, and the Lightning version for $25, a bit of a premium over the relatively similar to the $19 price tag of the 0.5 meter charging cable from Apple. Shipment of the Torso to begin in April 2014 — a pretty decent bet considering the team was just a couple of weeks late delivering its first Kickstarter project to which the Torso is so similar.

The Potential. The Torso is a refreshing perspective of what used to be a one dimensional product.  There are cheaper and smaller on-the-go charging cables, but particularly for those up for a quick video chat, it’s a versatile bridge between a nearby USB port and your smartphone.

Categories
Toys

Snaak is not your child’s building block toy

editors-choiceThe Premise. Lego lovers, rejoice! This new interlocking toy is going to be one of the coolest inventions of this century. Legos have held their place in the toy-building history, but it’s time to develop something new for a generation of kids who live on computers.

The Product. The Snaak is made up of 64 interlocking transparent cubes that can be arranged in thousands of different shapes. By twisting and turning each cube, you can create almost infinite designs, and transform the blocks from one shape to the other very easily. They used the number 64 because it is the first number that is both a perfect square (8×8) and a cube (4x4x4). This leads to the many, many possible combinations of shapes. They supply the mathematical forum that tells the user how there are more possible combinations of this toy than there are atoms in the universe.

The Pitch. This Kickstarter video is made entirely out of stop-motion, which is essentially a series of still photographs run together very quickly. This really shows off a lot of different shapes, and because it is a black background with just the product and the hands, it really showcases the Snaak. However, the photos move very fast, so it’s difficult to tell exactly how you would move the pieces to configure the shapes. That being said, it does make you want to get your hands on one and play with it.

The Perks. Beyond the $25 early bird special, you can donate $45 and get a multi-colored Snaak (and pick the order of the colors), and for $100, you receive five of the Snaak sets. This toy is complex enough that it will entertain kids who are used to playing computer games, and you won’t be losing all of the pieces. This is also great for adults who like to do Rubiks’ Cube type toys that love the complexity and kinesthetic properties of toys like this.

The Potential. Snaak has broad appeal and even some potential prototyping functionality beyond its entertainment value. It’s easy to see it showing up in a wide range of retailers from Brookstone to Toys R Us. One gets the sense that once people get a taste of Snaak, they may be back for seconds!

Categories
Furniture

Attiture puts balcony-friendly furniture design on the table

The Premise. Living in a small space can make arranging furniture difficult, and having a small balcony only adds to the challenge. Many outdoor tables have larger dimensions that are designed for those with more copious decks.

The Product. The Mercury Table is specifically created with tiny balconies in mind. From the tabletop to the legs, this little table will help you make the most of a small space. The tabletop isn’t symmetrical, but rather offers a rounded edge that slopes at an angle. In addition, the top is outfitted with holes that will keep the table from flipping in high winds. The legs are slender and curve inwards, which allows for chairs and their occupants to fit comfortably.

The Pitch. The video on Kickstarter is a little odd. The video content is viewed exclusively on a simulated old-school television frame. This leaves a lot of blank space on the sides, which is strange but not terrible. The film is narrated by the developers and relies mostly on drawings and one mock-up of the product. They are raising money to start production at local companies in Minnesota. They also included lots of diagrams about the product, both in the video and in the text description. The campaign is striving to raise $48,000.

The Perks. One challenge for the campaign of this pleasant enough little table is the reward tiers. Backers don’t receive a product until $359 for an aluminum version due in March 2014; that represents a supposed $60 discount versus retail. This seems to be a ridiculous price for a small, collapsible table until one sees that the stainless steel versions cost nearly $540 and up.

The Potential. The Mercury Table addresses a legitimate issue and does it in thoughtful style, but there’s nothing proprietary about making a small table, and for significantly less. It’s somewhat surprising that Attiture didn’t at least consider offering matching chairs. Perhaps the campaign will inspire makers of outdoor furniture will become more creative in their smaller table designs.

Categories
Organization

Lazy Keys lights the way, puts a spring in your keys

Lazy KeysInto the well-worn collection of key organizer Kickstarter products comes Lazy Keys. As the video, which contains a lot of poorly edited titles explains, the which offers a switchblade-like release of your lock masters as well as a small LED flashlight to find your way toward the keyhole or around any dark area. Made of ABS plastic, the Lazy Keys  Reward levels include receiving the product for $25 in March 2014 and go up from there to include “keys” that can be used as a bottle opener or a USB flash drive.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

Bloki readies the iPhone on the night table

BlokiBloki is a small piece of plastic that holds your iPhone or iPod touch in a slightly tilted horizontal orientation, the perfect angle for use as an alarm clock. In cradling the Lightning or 30-pin connector, it doesn’t block the speakers, allowing the alarm to be heard clearly. Creator Franck Ergas seeks only $1,200 and  has done a good job supporting a wide range of older iPhones and iPod touches and seeks to support even more phones in the future. Backers should expect them at their bedside by March 2014.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

SmartSound case props up phone, pumps up audio

Smartsound CaseThe patented SmartSound case combines a kickstand and audio amplifier for your smartphone, making it four decibels louder with the stand closed and 10 decibels louder with it open. As explained in a rambling seven-minute video, focus was placed on allowing the kickstand part to open as quickly as possible. Backers can expect it to ship in March 2014 for the iPhone 5/5S and Galaxy S IV for $25.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

Dots911 amplifies cell signals, points you toward coverage

editors-choiceThe Premise: There have been too many cases where people have been lost or stranded without cellphone reception to make a call for help. People often have to wander off blindly in search of a stronger signal in hopes of getting out of their sticky situation. Not being able to find a cell signal — a nuisance in daily life — can turn into a life-threatening scenario, particularly in extreme temperatures.

The Product. Dots911 is a combination of hardware that boosts signal strength and software that directs you to the nearest signal if you don’t have any. It’s an insurance product to make sure that you never end up stranded without signal, and it can sometimes be the difference between life and death. The app, which is available for Android and iOS users, doesn’t directly control the product. However, it is a good complement, providing a quick access map of cellphone coverage in the area, while the amplifier — which resembles a small, clear satellite dish — boosts whatever signal there is to make a stronger connection.

The Pitch. In their video, the creators provide examples of people who have been stranded and unable to call for help because they didn’t have cell-phone coverage. They show how their app uses color-coded dots to direct the user to the closest signal, and how the signal booster can fit within the trunk of a car for convenient signal access.

The Perks: The app for Dots911 is available only to those who make a $35 pledge or more. That pledge is also enough for a compact 8-inch signal enhancer that requires no power and works with any mobile phone in the world. You can pitch in more money to receive larger signal enhancers for increased signal power.

The Potential: While the potential value of the Dots911 system is compelling, there are other cellular amplifiers on the market, many of which are more compact. Their signal enhancer looks like the product of a garage, some extra plastic, and an old camera tripod. It’s not portable enough to be a product that campers or hikers would consider bringing, and for the average cellphone user, a laptop sized satellite isn’t exactly the number one solution for a text message that won’t go through. However, throwing one in the trunk of your car might not be a good idea if your travels will take you to remote and potentially dangerous places.

Categories
Connected Objects

Bringrr sets off social search parties to find your lost items

The Premise. News flash: People lose things. Whether it’s a wallet, cellphone, bag or pet, we’ve all misplaced something or left it behind by accident. Tracking devices have always been subject to high prices and the world of spy movies, leaving the average “loser” stuck relying on memory to find the wayward object.

The Product. Bringrr hopes to prevent people from losing anymore items. The original concept is a normal car USB charger—with a twist. On top of being able to charge any USB device, Bringrr will notify the driver if their phone is in the car or not. For every other item, there’s BringTags. The small circular pieces have a small and simplistic design that makes them easy to pair with any commonly lost item. With a very initiative and sleek design interface, Bringrr’s iPhone app can also help to locate lost items by providing information about distance and direction.

The Pitch. The Bringrr video very simply demonstrates the practical uses of the USB port and BringTags. By showing many different real life scenarios where the Bringrr helped people avoid losing their items, it becomes pretty clear how much it can benefit everyday life. There’s also a cute storyline to follow of a girl who uses the Bringrr community to reunite her with her lost cat, which leaves a nice hint of “happily ever after.”

The Perks. For the person who loses just about everything, $89 will land a Bringrr and four BringTags with the color of their choosing. For $49, you’ll be able to keep track of your phone and one other item with a BringTag, and for $39, a Bringrr USB charger will always remind you if you drive away without your phone. The price of the items you’re scared of losing in sentiment or monetary value probably far outweighs the dent in your pocket these pledges will make.

The Potential. This is a very cool idea, that’s useful for just about anyone, right? Well, Unfortunately for the Bringrr folks, at least half a dozen other companies have also thought so, creating products such as the Zomm, Kensington Proximo and  Stick-n-Find. O Nearly 50,000 people have already pledged to receive The Tile. Essentially, BringTags and Tiles have the same features except one is circular, and the other is a rounded square.

A key to these tracking devices’ success is the involvement of the community when items are lost. Therefore, the larger the community, the more likely you are to find that item. Tile has a bit of a head start building a community, but Bringrr has a snazzy USB charger for your car that could help prevent having to head back if you left your phone at home. At nearly identical prices, it’s going to be a battle, with many other players vying to find your misplaced objects.