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Automotive Safety

Katasi Groove derails driving distractions, rewards focused driving with prizes

Driving while distracted happens to so many people more often than they’d like to admit. Our smartphones, although incredibly useful, can also be the reason why unfortunate and sometimes fatal accidents occur. This is the reason why phone manufacturers, along with third party companies, have attempted to offer solutions to the problem with different modes like ‘Do Not Disturb’ modes or in-car attachments.

The Katasi Groove is another one of those solutions, but this time it comes in the form of a unobtrusive dongle that attaches to a vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostic II, or OBD II, port. When connected, the driver pairs it with a smartphone and whenever the Groove senses it in the car, it works with carriers to limit what kinds of data connections are maintained. This means that mail and text messages are stifled for the length of the car ride while things like Pandora and navigation are let through.

While other phone modes or devices are manually set up, the Katasi Groove works without user input making it easier to have a real impact on driving behavior. To incentivize safe, distraction-free driving, the Katasi Groove also metes out points, named Gruves, that stack up the longer the device recognizes a driver’s self-control. These points can be redeemed for gas, food, and even concert tickets. Should the campaign’s $50,000 goal be met, a one-year subscription to the service can be had for $150.

The Groove is a promising piece of technology, but one that, frankly, needs to be made standard in all vehicles rather than a piece of consumer technology. With the OBD II port’s sudden increase of options, choosing between this or something like the Drivebot won’t be much of a choice. Unfortunately, it’s been proven that people will always choose day to day money-saving functionality over safety.

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Automotive Cell Phone Accessories Imaging Video

RV Rear View Camera streams video to keep trailer towers safe on the road

Those who travel the world in the front seat of a car attached to trailers are an admirable bunch. Most people would agree the amount of freedom they have is enviable but like all good things in the world, it comes at a cost. Having a long trailer attached to the back of any vehicle automatically makes it much harder to drive, and actions as basic as changing lanes or braking suddenly become much more dangerous.

The RV Rear View Camera system allows users to attach an Internet protocol camera, or IP camera, to a trailer’s rear window. Once attached, video is streamed to an iPhone mounted on the dash of the vehicle doing all the heavy lifting. This alleviates the blindspots created by towing an RV around and offers an increased sense of security to those traveling.

Unfortunately, those with Android devices are out of luck although those are in the works. For now, only iPhones 5 and 6 work with the $400 system. The product is expected to ship in January 2015 with a successful campaign of $10,500.

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Automotive Connected Objects

Bluetooth tire pressure management system lets you know when your tires are low

The Premise. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, under-inflated tires are at the root of some of the most common issues related to fuel efficiency and safety while driving. If a tire remains under-inflated at just 1 psi over its lifetime, its tread life decreases by about 800 miles, and for every 2.96 psi of under-inflation, fuel efficiency is reduced by 1%. With 26% of all passenger cars on the road under-inflated by at least 25%, that’s a lot of miles of tread life and liters of gasoline needlessly wasted. These factors also contribute to the almost 80,000 crashes that occur annually in the US due to flat tires or blowouts — some fatal.

The Product. The team behind the FOBO Tire wants to bring tire pressure management systems, or TPMS’s, into the modern age. Theirs is an iOS/Android compatible, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy enabled system that always keeps a user informed about the tire pressure of their vehicle, with an in-car unit as well to use in the absence of a smartphone. Integration with smartphones allows for a tiered alert system, theft detection for the system, the ability to share the FOBO Tire’s information with friends and family, and even monitor up to 20 different cars. There’s also a separated edition for two and three-wheeled vehicles called the FOBO Bike up for grabs.

The Pitch. The video featured on the campaign is professional, chock full of information, and really demonstrates just how useful the FOBO Tire can be, going as far as to show how quick and painless installation is and introducing potential backers to the team itself. The product’s many features are clearly laid out in text form, with large, clear pictures to back them up.

The Perks. A single set of FOBO Tire will run you $90, which includes four sensors and one in-car unit, saving backers $59 off the $149 retail price. Similarly, the FOBO Bike can be had for $65, shaving $25 off the $90 retail price. The option for more sets of FOBO Tires or Bikes are also available, at price points ranging from $110 to $1050.

The Potential. Making pretty much any current dumb product idea smart immediately adds utility to it, so the combination of a TPMS with the smartphones that drive our lives is one of those no-brainers that takes some time to think up. As tire pressure is a very real and serious concern, its applicability to pretty much every driver will ensure this product becomes some sort of success. It improves on products like the TireMinder with its ease of installation, use, and the many benefits that come from smartphone integration, making this product many will be on the look out for.

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Automotive Cell Phone Accessories Safety

Buoy protects loved ones from texting temptation in the car

The Premise. Texting and driving is a scourge affecting us all. Few drivers haven’t been tempted by the opportunity to compose a text or check e-mail while sitting at an intersection or navigating down a road, despite increasing technological and legislative attempts to curb such dangerous behavior. Admirable as these attempts have been, they haven’t addressed the fundamental root of the problem: the phone being in the driver’s hands at all.

The Product. Buoy, a sleek dock that mounts to the dashboard of your vehicle, is looking to confront that problem head-on. Using a patented system of proximity sensors, either within a newly manufactured car or an already functioning car with a built in docking station, The product can always detect when the driver’s cell phone is in the car. After a set amount of time, an alarm sounds accompanied by a flashing light to urge the driver to place their phone back in its designated position in the dock. By applying the idea of using behavioral cues similar to seat belt alarms to influence driver actions, DNJ Innovations is looking to position itself as a necessity rather than just an option to major car manufacturers.

The Pitch. Their campaign video not only shows off the 3D-printed Buoy prototype, but the final retail model in all its sleek glory, too. It also clearly explains everything from the legal issues DNJ Innovations had in mind when constructing Buoy to its ultimate goal of getting it into every car manufactured. Their 50 day campaign funding goal of $110,000 will support a full scale production run in the immediate future.

The Perks. The expected retail price for Buoy will be $149.99, but the various perks DNJ Innovations is offering cuts that price down. There’s an early bird special that nets you a Buoy in black for $95 and another, more general perk that does the same for $115. You can choose a different colored Buoy for $125, with bulk options of five or 10 Buoys for $500 and $850. The ultimate perk at $10,000 grants you the opportunity to both meet and talk business with the developers.

The Potential. DNJ Innovations has hit the nail on the head with this idea by approaching it with the kind of thinking that makes the idea itself seem completely obvious after you’ve heard it. In an industry trending heavily towards voice control in the car as a solution to using cell phones while driving, DNJ Innovations has taken a step back to take a look at the problem from fresh angles with Buoy as its result. Both the level of safety Buoy provides along with its relative simplicity should prove extremely attractive to major car manufacturers, as there’s no worry about the potential licensing and/or software issues other, more complicated systems present.

Categories
Toys

Videogame racing meets real life in Real FX

The Premise. For many, no childhood was complete without either a quality remote-controlled car or a bulky, customizable slot car track. The thrill of speed and navigating twists and turns was irresistible to so many children, but the technology has done little to advance into the 21st century.

The Product. Real FX racing marries the competitive, constructed nature of slot car tracks with the freedom of motion and skill that remote control cars offer. With a pack of different track pieces, any number of courses can be created for the cars to drive along. Once ready, any number of racers can hit the track and compete using the special controllers. These controllers and the cars themselves are designed to simulate a more virtual racing experience in the real world, with cars that can drive themselves, programmable track hazards, and assisted steering. Using an optical sensor beneath the cars, each car tends to gravitate toward the center of the track to keep races competitive, but also allows the drive the freedom to steer as they like and attempt to pass cars or go for the best time.

The Pitch. The toy car enthusiasts over at Wow! Labs are happy to show off Real FX and what the different cars can do. Seeing real-life R/C cars driving themselves competitively around a customizable, unique track is enough to really capture that childlike magic of play, and all the other features that Real FX have to offer are all thick frosting on this exciting cake. Wow! Labs needs £50,000 in order for Real FX to qualify for its big race.

The Perks. A set with two cars and controllers with starter track pieces will ship out in October 2014 for £100. A third car can be added at the £130 level, while a more complex pro-racing track set starts at £150. The production pilot model will be ready in August for those willing to shell out £1,000 to hit the track a little faster.

The Potential. The execution for Real FX seems pot on, perfectly marrying the racing aspects of slot car with the freedom of movement provided by R/C. The controls seem comfortable and easy to use, and this could be fun for people of any age to get together and play. Though the computerized features of the cars are robust, the “video game” angle that Wow! Labs promotes is overshadowed by other similar items like Anki, which offers upgradeable performance and even weapons for the cars. Real FX offers a more pure race however, and the potential for new sets of track pieces or other upgrades in the future is promising for this racing system.

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Automotive Cell Phone Accessories Tablet Accessories

Hangatablet, Hangaphone let your tablets and handsets hang out in your car, home

HangatabletWe’ve all been there. Driving around with a GPS only to have it fall off the windshield, make a big noise and almost run you off of the road. Hangatablet offers a solution to the ever-falling GPS. Using a secure mechanism, Hangatablet attaches to the dashboard of a car and hangs your tablet or smartphone down the center console. Product creator and camel photography enthusiast Steve Jacobson has  can also created a kid brother for handsets called — you guessed it — the Hangaphone. both can be used to let your digital displays dangle for different purposes around the house or at work. Smaller The dashboard drop-ins  go for $59 and larger ones for $69. Hangatablet hopes to raise $160,000 in their 45-day campaign on Kickstarter.

Categories
Automotive Video

Window-Wedge makes it easy for GoPro to come along for the ride

window wedgeAmateur filmmakers have been revolutionizing at-home videos with the GoPro mountable camera, and innovators are constantly looking for ways to help videographers mount those cameras in new places. The Window-Wedge eschews suction cups and lets users to easily attach their GoPro camera to the window of almost any car by simply clipping the mount to the top of the car window. As an added bonus, the mount works to film the interior and exterior of the  car. So if backers wanted to film the occupants of a vehicle having an argument for a short film (right, Jerry Seinfeld?), or film a car chase scene in the rain, they could do it. That’s right – the mount creates a water-tight seal, so the interior of the car isn’t going to suffer. The early bird offer on the deal is $15 for the Window-Wedge, which is a really good price for camera equipment.