Categories
Apparel

Lume sunglasses glow in the dark for those who wear their sunglasses at night

Made from Swiss watch technology and balanced titanium the Lume is a pair of extremely durable sunglasses that do not break easily and combine fashion with firmness. The logo of the glasses is white during the day and will glow teal in the dark. Most people wear their sunglasses during the day but maybe the glow-in-the-dark feature will help a user find them at night during spring cleaning.

Features of the Lume include: “DarkShine Glow Technology,” titanium arms, matte black protective armor coating (and claims to be as strong as a titanium drill bit), rear weighted balance, light lenses, polarization, hydrophobic technology (which means they are water-repellant), laser etching, acetate frames, and a protective hard case.

Lume sunglasses look great and are hard to break. Some users may enjoy the glow-in-the-dark feature. However, it seems a little odd to add a night only feature to something usually only used during daytime. Backers that pledge $90 get a pair. Lume is looking to raise $3,000 in its campaign.

Categories
Wearables

Fineck Bluetooth wearable strangles stubborn neck pain

One take away from the wearable craze is that people are willing to put some sort of sensor or module pretty much anywhere on their body, provided it relays important information. There’s a wearable for almost every part of the body: earrings, bracelets, ankle bracelets and rings are some of the most popular options that track a variety of vitals like heart rate and sleep. One part of the body hasn’t gotten any love, and that’s the neck: the source of some of the most common, persistent occupational pain most experience day in and day out.

In this modern age, the team behind the Fineck doesn’t believe anyone has to go through their day suffering at all. Their titanium wearable is one of the first neck-focused devices, and comes in the form of a sleek rubber band outfitted with a Bluetooth LE sensor that recognizes neck posture over time. The companion app then relays the analyzed data back to an iOS device to gently remind users of their posture, suggest mini-exercises, or prompt users to play interactive games with the neck as the controller, all in the name of alleviating stubborn neck pain. Early birds can grab a Fineck necklace for $69 before it shoots up to $89, with an expected ship date of April 2015. The campaign is looking for $20,000 in funding.

The Fineck’s choice of placement is certainly novel, but the rest of it isn’t. The neck doesn’t require as much special attention as the product will lead most to believe. Maintaining proper posture is key, and giving it a nice stretch or two over the span of the day will be more than enough. A completely separate device isn’t necessary, and replicates features the more subdued Lumo Lift already boast. Should the Fineck evolve in its capabilities, it may merit a second look.

Categories
Technology Wearables

Timer Smart Ring unlocks doors, phones and hearts

Fitness tends to be the main application featured in smart wearable devices. But the maker of the Timer Smart Ring is focusing on other uses for its device, including the ability to use the ring to open intelligent door locks, unlock mobile phone screens, or pass along digital business cards to other mobile phones using NFC technology.

The ring supports most intelligent door locks on the market that use 13.56 MHz, including locks made by Samsung. Users can set the ring to unlock the screen of select mobile phones, whether or not the phone already uses other unlocking systems, such as a gesture code or password. The ring is compatible with Android and Windows smartphones, but not iOS. As shown in the campaign’s somewhat corny video, the ring can also be used to make romantic connections in public places by taking advantage of the device’s NFC. The ring designed for male customers is made with titanium, while the female version is made of 18K rose gold. Its maker is looking to raise €39,000 (~$48,600). Backers who pledge €39 (~$49) will get a ring in a choice of black or white.

Unlike similar products such as the Arcus fitness ring, the Timer Smart Ring actually looks similar to a fairly standard metal ring.  That, and its reasonable price, will make it especially appealing to some male consumers who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing some of the other smart rings on the market that seem to be designed only for female users. But the device’s unmemorable, and even downright strange, name stands to make it a tough sell. An even bigger challenge, however, is its lack of iOS support.

 

 

 

Categories
Lifestyle

HandleBeard tames wild whiskers on the go

handlebeardIt’s outrageous to think a single item can tame the legions of mighty and lustrous beards ruling over the chins of men the world over, but Joe Bencar and his Handlebeard have stepped into the arena to do battle. Whatever you do, don’t let the keychain comb’s diminutive size or whimsical handlebar design fool you: this is 3.5 inches of pure, anodized aluminum, water-jet cut to keep booming bristles in check. Reasonably priced at just $10, the Handlebeard’s lightweight design will accompany you anywhere you go. Even if the Handlebeard doesn’t come across as versatile as the GoComb, stretch goals include additional color options and a titanium version that inject variety and strike fear into the hearts of even the most labyrinthine mane. It’s due to whisk its way onto keychains in November 2014.