Month: December 2014

Categories
Pets

Romeow woos your Julipet with smartphone scheduled feedings

Leaving a pet alone at home for a few days isn’t only taxing on the animal, but stressful for the owner too. Cats and dogs hate to be put in kennels and it can be expensive to have someone feed and take care of pets several times a day.

Romeow is a smartphone-powered device that can feed and provide water for pets over Wi-Fi. When away, owners can use the wide angle camera to check out the bowls. If empty, a tap of a button will dispense the desired amount of food and water. In addition, the owner can schedule all feedings with the app’s calendar, so pet feeding is never a chore. Romeow also comes equipped with a speaker so you can coo at your pet from afar.

Romeow joins scores of other similar products like the Kittyo and PetPal, though it claims to be the first. While it does have a camera and speaker, it doesn’t come equipped with a laser to actually interact with the pet like other products do, though this feature does seem bit superfluous. This product also offers water dispensing unlike others. The Italian Romeow’s design sets it apart too, opting to go more retro/industrial chic rather than the futuristic spaceship look. One Romeow system complete with two bowls can be had by backers for €249 (~$310) by September 2015, if the campaign can meet its €80,000 (~$99,600) goal on Indiegogo.

Categories
Watches and Jewelry Wearables

Ear-O-Smart measures activity levels in an earring

Most wearables devices come as wristbands that can be pretty bulky. Companies are just now getting around to the fact that most people don’t want to wear these ungainly devices despite whatever benefits they may offer, and designs are starting to reflect that. In all of this, though, the market for women-worn wearables is practically non-existent.

BioSensive Technologies Inc. has noticed, and has designed the Ear-O-Smart, a connected earring aimed specifically at women. The earring is Bluetooth LE enabled and syncs with any iOS/Android phone to provide an activity tracker, heart rate monitor, and a calorie monitor to better inform users of their body states. The campaign is looking for $30,000 CAD (~$26,300 USD) to get the $149 CAD (~$130 USD) earrings out by June 2015.

This company has truly taken a chance in designing an accessory for women as the challenge, first and foremost, is a design one and not a technological one. In addition, that market is extremely saturated and most women enjoy a large selection of accessories at any one time, so asking for the repeated use of just one will be a long shot. The Ear-O-Smart attempts to address these points by being customizable, but even a few different looks may not be enough.

Categories
Connected Objects Winter Sports

Shredz audio helmet kit lets you jam out on the mountain

Skiing and snowboarding are two activities that make winter bearable. There’s nothing like careening down a hill in a sea of white.

Now, you can listen to music or talk on the phone while on the mountain. Shredz is an audio kit for ski or snowboard helmets that affixes earbuds to the riders ears. It works with any helmet that comes with space for headphones already. Coming in either wireless Bluetooth or connected, Shredz is a great way to jam out or keep in touch with loved ones.

This Canadian product is great for habitual skiers and snowboarders. Some may argue that it may be dangerous to listen to music on the mountain, but for experienced riders, it’s probably okay. The only thing is that not everyone wears helmets, so it would be interesting to see if Shredz could develop a version that works well with toques or goggles. The Bluetooth enabled version of this Canadian product is going for $109 CAD (~$95 USD) for estimated delivery in March 2015. Shredz is hoping to raise $20,000 CAD (~$18,300 USD) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Input

Flow wireless controller streamlines your workflow with gesture, touch

In the physical world, our hands are the tools with which we feel and manipulate the world around us, having evolved over time to be regions of intense sensitivity and masterful precision. Our leap into the digital realm hasn’t been as smooth, though. While the keyboard and mouse combo has admirably pulled its weight over the years, the increasing complexity and changing functionality of the programs we use daily have plainly shown that another way of controlling is possible. With the Flow wireless controller, Senic shows that it’s thinking of a future where the digital can be as easily controlled as anything physical.

Flow is a stylish, aluminum puck-shaped device that offers gesture, touch, scroll, and haptic control all in a tiny package. With it, users will be able to access a larger ranger of precision not offered by traditional mouse inputs and the shortcuts that make work much easier. Programs like Spotify and Photoshop let users change what each input does, so what a pass of the hand will do in one will do something entirely different in the other, eliminating hunting after specific options in menus. It’s also freely programmable, so any program not currently supported can be addressed by the Flow community. Puzzlingly, Flow is Mac only for now, but the rest of the major platforms are in the works. The $99 Flow is expected to ship in July 2015. Flow is looking for $50,000 in funding.

New input technologies are always risky business as the companies pushing them are essentially asking people to incorporate foreign actions into their very established processes. Most of the time, though, these inputs are laughably difficult and don’t do much to make things easier. Flow seems to be very straightforward and easy to use. It works as a complement rather than a proposition to replace everything, and that’s a far lower bar to present to those who may be interested.

Categories
Smart Home

HUUM portable security system keeps you humming along without a worry

More and more, security systems are coming into their own in this new era of connected technologies, fitting into smaller packages and accomplishing as much or even more than they ever have. The HUUM is another addition in this space, offering a portable security system with a diverse array of features to keep users safe with minimal effort.

The HUUM is as small as a pencil case, but packs motion tracking, temperature monitoring, flood detection, and location tracking within. And since it’s portable, its possible uses aren’t limited to just the home. Although the system is compatible with both iOS and Android devices, the latter is able to utilize NFC tapping technology to easily activate or deactivate your alarms, change settings, or set up new devices, eliminating the need to input codes or any other form of authentication. In addition, multiple smartphones can be connected to a single system to keep everyone informed on an open window on a rainy day or even intrusions, all without monthly fees. The campaign is looking for $20,000 CAD (~$14,500 USD) to get the $89 CAD (~$77 USD) device out to backers by March 2015.

The HUUM works over Wi-Fi and, while that affords it impressive range, it’s also a drawback in that if something is wrong with the connection, it won’t be as effective. Other products, like the Canary and the WataSensor, are similarly handicapped but offer more features than the HUUM. The HUUM’s portability and size are its prime traits and its price compared to other similar systems sweetens the deal.

Categories
Connected Objects Cooking Sensors/IoT

Pantelligent takes the guesswork out of cooking; makes sure you can stand the heat in the kitchen

Objects everywhere around us are becoming smarter. It’s now a cinch to keep lawns watered, pets fed, temperatures regulated, security systems activated and so much more. What could be next?

Pantelligent lets you cook smarter. This Bluetooth enabled pan monitors the temperature of its surface and sends the data to an accompanying smartphone app. It tracks heat to make sure that the food won’t burn or sit there cold. The app also comes equipped with recipes for salmon, steak, chicken, scallops and much more. For added convenience, the recipes can be read out loud so you’re not stuck hunched over instructions. In addition, the recipe will indicate when the cut of meat needs to be flipped over. Pantelligent also allows for new recipes to be put in, so that it can be used for everyone’s food preferences.

The scores of testimonials on the campaign page say that Pantelligent helped cook the best meals of different people’s lives. Someone says it’s like a GPS for cooking. All in all, Pantelligent seems to live up to the hype as a unique product useful for many. It’s unclear how Pantelligent cooks red meat, however, or if it can work with different meat temperatures. Still, many still find cooking a mystery and this product clears up a lot of the guesswork. For $199, backers can have their very own with estimated delivery set for August 2015. This product is looking to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Smart Home

EZ Wand has the magic touch to motorize blinds

One part of the home that has unceremoniously been ignored by smart home fever is the window blind. As such, automating them is an involved process that usually costs home owners lots of time and money to properly do. The EZ Wand makes the entire process as simple as replacing the wand on horizontal or vertical window blinds. When that’s done, the supplied remote control can control up to eight different wands either individually or in groups, making what used to be an annoyance as easy as a button press.

With the EZ Wand as easy to install as it is, it makes for a low-cost no-brainer for most home owners who are looking for this sort of thing. The 4 AAA required powers the wand for nine months while the remote for two years at a distance of up to 45 feet away, a fact that would make it pretty versatile were it not for its lack of color options. Unfortunately, the EZ Wand is limited in what kind of blinds it can control and doesn’t feature smartphone interaction. Other types of blinds can be outfitted with the ShutterEaze or Tilt My Blinds instead. In any case, $59 gets backers one wand and a remote, with an estimated delivery date of December 2014. The company behind the campaign is looking for $35,000 to make this product a reality.

Categories
Cycling

MagLock Bike Pedal lets you skip the clip while riding

Biking while clipped in has its advantages in terms of power and efficiency but for those just learning, it can seem like everything is more difficult. The mere action of clipping in and clipping out of pedals can seem insurmountable, giving most people enough of an excuse to stay away. And when you’re not clipped in, the option of casually riding your bike around isn’t so casual anymore. The MagLOCK Bike Pedal wants to convince you that their magnetically clipping bike pedals are superior.

The MagLOCK Bike Pedal is the best of both worlds, providing a platform on which to magnetically clip in to with SPD-compatible shoes and the steel clips that come with the bike pedal or on which to ride normally with ordinary street shoes. The result is the versatility to choose whether or not to clip in depending on the type of ride. Embedded magnets are easily adjustable so that the pedal’s attractive force can be next to nothing up to 50 pounds, enough to keep your foot firmly in place on both the up and down strokes. The pedals themselves, though, can seem ungainly and quite bulky compared to how slim the profiles of normal pedals are. They’re expensive, too, at $175 for a set. The campaign is looking for $30,000 to get cyclists’ feet clipped in by May 2015.

Categories
Home Nutrition/Hydration

Oasis Water Tanks can hide under your bed, behind couch

When a natural disaster such as a severe storm or blizzard are reported as brewing, water is one of the first things that flies off the shelves in a grocery store. Most people who know about emergency preparedness recommend having at least one gallon of water per day per person available. If one has a family, one of the best ways to do that is with a water tank such as Oasis Water Tanks. This product is touted as only needing five inches of storage space, but it holds 20 gallons of water. Recommended places to put this tank include behind a couch or under a bed.

Hopefully, the thing will never spring a leak. Maybe a garage or basement that has a built in storm drain might be a better option. Interested backers might also be interested in the Kalipak, Recon 6 Watch, Survivor Signal Rescue Panel, and Rhino Laces campaigns.  This campaign seeks to raise $15,000. Early bird backers get one product for $100 with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Health and Wellness Travel

Portable Facial Steamer puts the heat on skin irritants

A noticeable facial blemish can seem like a pretty major issue when one is getting ready to close that big deal – or go on that big date. Travel or dorm life can mean that skin gets exposed to new environmental debris that makes breakouts or dryness more common than when at home. The Portable Facial Steamer allows users to have the benefit of getting skin issues under control before they have a chance to start showing up on one’s face. Five minutes of controlled steam will open pores, pull out all toxins, revive dead skin and help with blemishes.

Consumers fill the steamer with water from the tap and, once plugged in, it takes 60 seconds to heat up and be ready for use. It’s unclear if distilled water, which would really be the better option when in new environments, will work with the product. , or put on a flat surface at face level and move face around the steamer. This campaign seeks to raise $8000 by December 31, 2014. Backers get one product for $50 with an expected delivery of June 2015. The Portable Facial Steamer seems like a handy travel aid for those who want some misty refreshment on the road, but may find a real fight for the travel bags of packing minimalists.