Categories
Kids/Babies Smartwatches/Bands

Kidswatcher is a tracking watch that provides a bit of child-tracking assurance

kidswatcherIn earlier decades, it was common for children to go off on their own and explore the neighborhood on adventures. Many parents still want to preserve that freedom, but still want a way to keep tabs on their kids. In the tradition of recent crowdfunding efforts HereO and Tinitell comes Kidswatcher. Children can wear a stylish, waterproof digital watch that parents can scan into their phone using an app and a QR code on the interior of each watch. The watch can report on the child’s location outdoors using GSM networks and indoors by using Wi-Fi. Parents can even send a buzz to the children’s watch which they can acknowledge, or alert social media and the police in case of emergency. The Kidswatcher will launch in December for €149, but can also be pre-ordered on a trial basis.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Groove learns your habits, keeps you motivated to workout

The Premise. The tech market has spoken, and people want devices that track their physical activity to motivate their workouts. Mobile devices work best when they do more than one thing, however, and so one company is rolling out wearable tech that does more than count burnt calories.

The Product. Groove is a hybrid smartwatch and fitness tracker. The device is worn just like a regular smartwatch, but also can schedule, track, and report workout data both personally and among fitness buddies. With the ActivLite band, notifications can pop up through an attractive light-up band so that owners don’t have to keep checking their watch as if impatiently waiting for something to happen. The Groove can monitor heart rate, observe sleep cycles, is waterproof, features voice commands, and is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

The Pitch. The image of the Groove is what you would expect from wearable fitness – clean, young, active, and lively. The video does a good job of showing off the different things the device is capable of, and the campaign’s pictures flesh those ideas out by comparing the Groove to seven other popular smart watches and fitness trackers. The team behind Groove want to raise $200,000 to complete the companion app, get Bluetooth certified, and handle the production and distribution of their product beyond the initial crowdfunding step.

The Perks. The Groove Watch is available with app and charger for $179. In addition to the basic black and white colors, an Indiegogo-exclusive gold variant is available for $249. Both rewards will ship in January 2015. For those who want to start meeting goals earlier, a beta version will be out in October for those that pledge $1,499. Those that want to custom the colors and finish of their watch can design their own for $2,499.

The Potential. By integrating smartwatch features, an attractive design, and social tracking and goal-oriented aspects like the Samsung Gear Fit, the Groove lets other people offer something to strive for when outside motivation is needed, and a reason not to take off the device when it feels like a lazy day. While it may not be the most unique in terms of design or style, it bridges two products that are beginning to heat up into one concise, effective package.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Firefly matches you to those with similar interests beyond glowing wristwear

fireflyGoing out to socialize isn’t the same as it was even a decade ago. With smartphones and social media, most people out in the bar or the club have their phone up the whole time to check messages or take pictures, not notice the people around them. Firefly is a wearable LED band that checks messages and sends out Facebook profiles and common interests, lighting up with a specific pattern if someone else in the area has similar interests, allowing them to meet and talk face to face. In terms of design and functionality, the Firefly is similar to Wave, but adds the pivotal local matchmaking element. Firefly will hit the town in October and is available for $69.

Categories
Imaging Smartwatches/Bands

MADICE brings the “smart pair” of watch and camera into the mobile space

The Premise. The internet of Things continues to boom with smart this and smart that, but these products should do more than just talk with the cloud, internet, or social media. They should talk to each other in an integrated way.

The Product. Designed at its core to cooperate with each other, the MADICE smart camera and smart watch are pocket-sized, sturdy devices that bring a wide range of features in a small, wearable package. Both products offer 3G connectivity, quad core processors, and resistance to water and dust. The camera offers 13 megapixel resolution and has the ability to stream video live over 3G to any device, including the MADICE smart watch itself. Combined, these Android devices can display 1080p high-definition video, run standard Android apps, with the added bonus of the smart camera functioning on its own.

The Pitch. MADICE is a team comprised of creative individuayls from artists to musicians and more, so the campaign for the device is framed naturally to a similar market. The MADICE sells itself as a powerful hands-free tool that can give complete control over a phone or capture the creative spark with pictures nad video. MADICE wants to raise $30,000 to finalize the mobile app for the smart pair and to test and optimize the firmware and hardware.

The Perks. The MADICE smart camera is available for pledges of $139, the smart watch for $189, and the pair for $309. All are expected to ship out at the end of the year. Each item is also available with a 64GB variant compared to the standard 32, for $329 and $379 for camera and watch, respectively.

The Potential. The built-in 3G on these devices make them really great for streaming live video or events as they happen. The overall design is a bit plain, reminiscent of the boxy calculator watches of the 1980s, but the internal power and capabilities of the MADICE smart watch are tempting alone. Paired with the smart camera to create the advertised “smart pair,” that only opens up new opportunities for MADICE to carve out a niche in the already crowded market of smart watches and digital cameras. Without the pair, the devices are certainly powerful, but not so much that they stand high above the competition.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

inWatch Z packs smartwatch features, 3G connections into a thin package

inWatch ZThe smartwatch race has suddenly gotten pretty crowded with many more devices on the way now that Google has officially blessed them., but the features can vary widely. Most of these products connect to a smartphone. But in addition  bo hosting an HD camera, fitness tracking, and cloud services rolled into a customized Android UI?, the inWatch Z packs in a cellular radio while retaining a pretty svelte profile. Battery life, though, could be an issue. Interested backers can get their very own inWatch Z for $199.

Categories
Kids/Babies Smartwatches/Bands

Tinitell is a wrist-worn locator and phone for the pre-iPhone set

The Premise. Parents who want to keep track of their kids almost always resort to giving them cell phones nowadays. But a cell phone for a child is a lot of responsibility and risk. Kids are hard on phones and may even lose them as they go out to play and explore the world.

The Product. Tinitell, the smallest mobile phone ever created, is a cell phone that is worn on a child’s wrist. First of all, this device is water- and sand-proof, making it perfect for children. It comes in different colors equipped with GPS tracking, voice recognition, Bluetooth capabilities, a long battery life and call forwarding. This wrist-phone comes in many different fun colors and only has three buttons that operate it, making it simple enough for the smallest of children to use. The phone’s preferences and contact list are managed from the Tinitell iOS/Android app or website.

The Pitch. This Swedish product’s video shows a delightful scene which effectively displays how easily children can get lost while battling monsters. The children in the video use the device easily, reinforcing Tinitell’s asserted childlike simplicity. The rest of the campaign outlines each of the phone’s unique features as well as the back story of what inspired Tinitell. This tiny phone hopes to raise $100,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. Early backers can enjoy the Tinitell for only $99. The exclusive Kickstarter price is $129, while standard retail price is set at $179. Reward tiers climb from there to $5,000, offering the product in different colors and packages. Each level offering the product has an estimated delivery date of April 2015.

The Potential. Tinitell seems like a good solution for keeping track of your kiddies while they go out and explore. This is not the only product out there, however. The hereO GPS watch tracks children but has a shorter battery life and no call function. Similarly, FiLIP offers the same peace of mind to parents in a wristband package with calling abilities, but only allows five numbers on the contact list. On the other hand, or wrist, FiLIP offers an emergency response system that Tinitell would do well to add. Unlike FiLIP, however, which is currently tied to AT&T in the U.S., Tinitell allows you to add your own SIM for more carrier and coverage flexibility. All in all, Tinitell is a clever device at the right price, but could definitely elaborate on its original design to result in an even better product.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

PIE band aims to take a slice of the smart wristwear market

The Premise. Everyone’s had a moment where they meet someone new and everyone pulls their phones out and circles up to swap information and add a new contact or two. It’s more convenient than it used to be, but interrupts socializing for much longer than a simple pass of the business card used to do.

The Product. Looking to bring back that elegance and seamless networking is PIE (Personal Interactive Experience), a smart band that users wear on their wrist to interact with the world around them. PIE can take advantage of its proprietary protocol called FLEX to interact with other PIE devices. However,, for the foreseeable future, it will have to interact with other products using NFC and Bluetooth 4.0. PIE can be used to make purchases at any contactless terminal, trade information with other PIE users, and download any data from NFC hotspots. With a simple shake of the hand, potential employers can get a copy of a resume, or simply swap contact information.

The Pitch. In the extremely clever campaign video, we see a bearded PIE user go through his day, mostly through his eyes and perspective. While out and about, he does what people do: networks, enjoys company, meets new people, and engages in business, but does so with the assistance of the slim band on his wrist. Because the video is largely artistic in its narrative, the rest of the campaign goes over exactly what PIE does and how. PIE needs to raise $150,000 for pretty much the entire process, from materials and design to packaging and shipping.

The Perks. A PIE unit with all features, diary app, and charging base can be had by the end of this year for $110, plus $20 outside of Europe for shipping. A limited Indiegogo version is available for $165, a 2-pack for $200, and for those that can’t wait, a developer tier is available for $345 that will ship in August.

The Potential. The PIE is kind of a neat idea that’s just a little too late. Because it operates entirely on NFC and Bluetooth, there’s no reason that this kind of functionality can’t be employed on a smartphone or other smartwatch or band, either by hardware or by app. It doesn’t do enough to supplant any form of human interaction, and potentially could only be brought to its full potential by other PIE users, meaning early adopters will have a hard time getting the most out of the device, let alone explaining to a store clerk that they can just tap their wrist on a POS terminal to make a purchase. There’s more here in theory than there seems to be in practice, making the hopes of this product rather “PIE in the sky.”

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Steel Connect adds personality to your Pebble

SteelConnectThe Pebble Steel smartwatch is an early contender in the exploding field of smartwatch options, but the two included leather and steel bands leave a little something to be desired. Steel Connect is an affordable solution, available in black matte and brushed aluminum to blend in with both Pebble variants, that allows owners to swap out the band for any 22 mm watch band. With such a wide variety of bands available, owners can make the Pebble Steel more stylish, more comfortable, or better suited to physical activity. The campaign photos show off a variety of band ideas that can work with the Steel Connect system. Steel Connect is available to backers who pledge £15 (add £3 outside the UK) and will be available by May.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands Wearables

Rufus Cuff is the wrist communicator we were promised

rufuscuffAny science fiction fan knows that a wrist communicator is the one device that truly will usher in the high-tech era. The Rufus Cuff, with a 3-inch screen, built-in microphone, speaker, and camera, makes those Android Wear watches cower in fear. Running a full Android OS and resembling the wrist computer on the old TV show Chuck, the Rufus Cuff can run all kinds of apps and function for internet browsing, fitness, and a whole lot more — alas, no laser shooting. With lots of capability, the only real concern is the device’s battery life and size as it looks a bit clunky and awkward in the campaign video. The Rufus Cuff should beam down in September 2014 for supporters providing at least $229.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Smartwatches/Bands

HeadWatch makes awkward transition from watch to headset

Screen shot 2014-03-14 at 3.16.01 PMWireless just doesn’t seem to be enough anymore, people also want their phones and other devices operate handsfree. Introducing HeadWatch, a self-not-so-very smartwatch that lives on your wrist and communicates with your smartphone. This clip-to-be-square device features a touchscreen and is detachable from its wrist strap so as to to enable its awkward form to clip to your ear for easier phone calls. One HeadWatch goes for $169 at an early price on Indiegogo and $199 at a regular price. The product’s Portuguese creator hopes to raise a staggering $300,000 in a 60-day campaign.