The Premise. Folks these days are busy busy busy with work, family and friends. As a result, we’re constantly attached to our phones, anxious to miss an important call or message. It can be frustrating, however, to feel the need to check the phone all the time. It’s important for people to relax away from their phones and enjoy the company of those they’re with, without worrying about missing anything.
The Product. The LEDmeKnow is a smart LED light box that works with your smartphone. Like a flat Rubik’s Cube, it has a face covered with nine squares in different colors. Each color is programmable to be attached to either certain recipients or certain websites. For instance, the blue light can indicate all Facebook notifications while the red light indicates that a call, e-mail or text is being received from one’s boss. The box is completely customizable for your needs. Each light will remain on until the call, e-mail or notification is dealt with so that one doesn’t have to be constantly staring at it. In addition, it doesn’t need to be close to the phone to work. the LEDmeKnow also features long battery life and only needs to be charged once a month.
The Pitch. LEDmeKnow’s campaign begins with a video of everything wrong with checking your phone at all times. In the dramatization, this guy can’t be bothered to look at his super hot girlfriend because he is too ensconced in his phone. The rest of the campaign features a comparison with a similar product and how the LEDmeKnow is (much) better. This smart cube hopes to raise $30,000 in a 30-day campaign on Kickstarter.
The Perks. Early birds get the box for $55, while punctual and late birds must pay $60 and $65 respectively for the special Kickstarter prices. This Ukranian product promises delivery by November 2014 and offers free shipping to the USA.
The Potential. As stated in their very own campaign, LEDmeKnow is aware that it isn’t the first product of its kind out there. The L8 SmartLight is very similar to the LEDmeKnow and was successfully funded on Kickstarter in August 2012. According to the campaign, however, the L8 had problems with low battery life, crashing, inability to stay synced with the phone and the product didn’t ship when promised. Also, it displayed each notification for only a few seconds, so the user had to remain glued to the box which rendered it slightly silly. All in all, the LEDmeKnow is a great option for men and women looking to enjoy the moment as the market has plenty of options exclusively for the ladies like the Ringly smart ring. While it may not be particularly useful in public, this product is great for those evening and weekend moments when phones become tiresome to deal with.
In an increasingly wireless world, we still need a whole lot of wires to keep our devices charged. It can be difficult to remember your charging cord at all times and definitely inconvenient when you’re caught without it.