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Home Smart Home

Kuna embeds a smart camera in a porch light to scare off intruders

Home security is a big concern for people worldwide. The old security systems of the 80’s and 90’s rely on off-site, outsourced professionals to contact the authorities and hope for a response in time. This technology needs an upgrade.

Kuna is a combination outdoor light and smart camera that allows owners to get notifications when someone approaches their door and, using the Kuna app, see them, talk with them, or sound an alarm. Disguised as a stylish exterior home light in one of three available styles, Kuna has all the function and convenience of an app-controlled outdoor light.

The fact that Kuna also includes a fully functional security camera with all the bells and whistles is a welcome addition. Operating on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, Kuna is easy to install and easy to use. Kuna is raising $50,000 to complete testing and ship out units. A donation of $149 is all it takes to provide peace of mind with a Kuna.

This isn’t the first smart camera and intercom system that’s been released on the market, but it may be the most multi-functional and most discreet; great for making a home look welcoming poorer for deterring unwanted guests outright.

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Health and Wellness

NailbonE gets into a dirty scrape with institutional fingernail cleaners

We all get that gunk under our fingernails and it’s always hard to get rid of. There are tools out there dedicated to this task, but not all are gentle enough and some may even cut you. The NailbonE’s aim is to get that dirt out from underneath your nails. It uses several bits in varied diameters to fit under different sized nails. These bits are cone shaped so that they don’t go too far under the nail. NailbonE is reusable and can simply be washed with soap and water after each use.

With no clear photograph or image of the product in the video, it’s hard to see what it looks like to judge its effectiveness. However, despite this lack, you should definitely check out the campaign video. It features a date scene with the creator playing all the parts. Clearly he didn’t find dressing in drag any kind of drag. For a $25 donation, backers can expect their own NailbonE by March 2015. This nail tool is looking to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter.

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Cell Phone Accessories

Neverdrop keeps your phone wrapped around your finger

One of the more disappointing things in life is that after paying out some bucks for a mobile phone, it gets dropped and then the screen cracks into a bazillion pieces, making it pretty unreadable if it still functions. Neverdrop is a mobile phone case worn on the finger. The product’s shell is made of polycarbonate, and the finger strap is made of clothing grade elastic. It also includes Velcro, so it should be fairly adjustable for nearly any finger size. A raised front edge is intended to protect mobiles from screen cracks.

It’s not an entirely convincing argument that wearing a mobile phone on one’s finger is the most convenient way of doing things, except when an actual call comes in. Maybe adding a wrist option would add convenience, and even be appreciated by those who like to wear their phone while exercising. This campaign seeks to raise $5,000 by December 19, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $20, with an expected delivery of January 2015.

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Imaging

Lumera adds Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and remote control to your DSLR

For photography enthusiasts, every opportunity for a snapshot means making a decision. With the ever-present smartphone, pictures can be taken anytime, anywhere and shared immediately with location information and other data. However the quality of these pictures, even with more megapixels, never holds up to what can be done with a professional grade camera.

Lumera is a camera accessory with the design to bridge this gap. attaching to the bottom of any camera with a tripod screw, Lumera offers one-button sharing to various social networks or cloud storage sites. When paired with the Lumera Android or iOS apps, Lumera can do even more, including wireless aperture control, time-lapse settings, and more. Lumera uploads either through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth LE 4.0, and is OpenSource and Openhardware friendly to allow for the potential of even more unique features later in development.

If the camera’s memory card is getting too filled up with photos, Lumera has an additional USB port built in to allow for the connection of any USB storage device to store any overflow photos. As of right now, Lumera only officially supports certain Nikon and Canon cameras, but offers a survey where the development team can confirm whether the camera is supported or begin working on support for it. Lumera Labs needs $90,000 CAD (~$80,000 USD) to engineer the product’s design, complete the apps, and get Lumera certified. Lumera will be out in May 2015 to those that pledge $170 CAD (~$150 USD).

Lumera’s features are all more or less offered by using a Wi-Fi enabled SD card like Eye-Fi, but offers the freedom of flexible hardware and ideally limitless storage through the USB port. Professional photographers who demand the most from their equipment will love the sharing features without sacrificing quality, but only the most dedicated will need to keep Lumera on hand.

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Sports

Raptor football weds a football to a glider for prolonged passes

Memories of those football hero days can be relived with this product. Raptor football may not look like the football used in high school, but it will allow the user to throw like they are in high school again. The aerodynamic design of this football will allow it to glide over 100 yards, and its aerospace-grade aluminum alloy frame means it is crash resistant for those times when the other guy fumbles – or just flat out misses. Polymer wings add to the gliding fun, and the foam body means nobody gets hurt – unless somebody tries to relive those old tackling memories. Now if they could just come up with a cheerleading uniform that would make a middle-aged woman look good to complete this fantasy. Right ladies?

Closely resembling a NURF ball, it’s unclear if Raptor really brings anything new to the table. Still, if it can really be thrown as far as its creators say, it’ll be great fun for those who have big fields to play in. This campaign seeks to raise a whopping $193,000 by December 30, 2014. For $29, backers get one product with an expected delivery of March 2015.

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Camping

POD tents interlock to create your campground human Habitrail

Camping can be one of the most fun and family friendly activities. But when the sun goes down and the kids are just done for the day, it often means that one parent doesn’t get to enjoy the company of the group so that the kids stay put in their tent, don’t get freaked out by nighttime nature sounds, and all remains well.

POD tents offer a unique idea that allows for the camping experience with a bit of extra privacy, diminishing that feeling of social suffocation that comes with a little too much togetherness. Since the tents are modular and can be connected by a tent tunnel, parents have fewer worries about letting kids have their own tent. Entrances and exits can be zipped or unzipped to provide a doorway or extra privacy when needed. One especially nice feature here is the 2.2 meter height, which means most adults will be able to stand up fully when they want to move around. A width of 3.6 meters means plenty of space. It’s not entirely clear how waterproof it would be in the event of rain, but it does appear that it may offer at least limited shelter in such an instance.

Overall, this seems like a great idea that can bring mom and dad some extra peace of mind when enjoying the great outdoors. This campaign seeks to raise £50,000 (~$78,200) by December 4, 2014. For £25 (~$39), backers can get one with expected delivery in January 2015.

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Cell Phone Accessories Wearables

Tiny Ditto phone accessory alerts with good vibrations

Sadly, a roundtable of friends at a restaurant staring at their screens instead of at one other is a common sight to see. Critics point to scenarios like this as an example social deterioration, but Simple Matters likes to think they have a solution that’s both simple and elegant. Called Ditto, the device is billed as the anti-gadget that will get eyes away from screens so that people can focus more on real life and all the interactions that enrich it. By pairing the device using Bluetooth LE to a smartphone or tablet, users can customize who or what is important enough to reach them and doing so eliminates those pesky ghost vibrations that are felt every so often. It can be discretely placed anywhere from undergarments to the small pocket of a pair of jeans as its small, pebble-like shape comes complete with a built-in clip, so users will always be sure to feel the Ditto and the important events associated with it.

Ditto’s minimalist aesthetic fits a wide variety of lifestyles and can come in handy for those who truly want to separate themselves from the many screens in our lives. The similar Amiloom aims to get people away from their phones by connecting friends with an app, but Ditto really goes for the root of the problem by blocking intrusive notifications. Simple Matters is looking for $100,000 for this noble effort. If they succeed, backers can expect the $29 device to be at their door in March of 2015.

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Augmented Reality Input

Nimble Sense brings virtual reality the input devices you were born with

Virtual reality technology is on the brink of reaching the average consumer after decades of failed vision and false promises. While head tracking and immersive headsets are great, the next level of immersion comes from a sense of touch rather than just using a keyboard and mouse.

The Nimble Sense is a hand-tracking camera created by Nimble VR, a company with years of experience working in the biggest tech companies and a history of focusing on hand-tracking technology. With this, their first proprietary camera, they are offering a gesture control and navigation system not just for gamers looking to lose themselves in a fantasy world, but also something that can have a wide variety of applications across a number of real-world situations.

Like the Kinect camera that Microsoft bundles with its Xbox consoles, the Nimble Sense creates a 3-D point cloud to track motion, depth, and gestures. With 110 degrees of vision and the ability to be mounted in any number of devices, the thin but powerful Nimble Sense is great for adding intuitive functionality to any piece of compatible technology. The 70 centimeter range also allows for any length of arms and less restrictive motion. Nimble VR needs $62,500 to complete design, testing, tooling, and production of the Sense. Supporters can reach out and grab one for only $99, with an expected release of June 2015.

By focusing exclusively on the hands, the Nimble Sense should offer a greater sense of accuracy and precision than many other motion cameras available, and will be a great companion for any Oculus Rift buyers. At this point, however, the technology is largely for novelty purposes, and it’s hard to think of existing practical applications for this product. Creators and VR enthusiasts will love it, others may want to let the technology continue to develop.

 

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Home

Wheelie Bin Cap keeps your trash bin lids from blowin’ in the wind

High wind days can mean that the trash in the bin ends up scattered all over and creates a big mess to clean up. Then there are those hungry night critters seeking a post midnight snack. Since keeping the lid on the bin can be a challenge, Wheelie Bin has a potential solution. The bin cap is designed with the intention of locking the lid in place so that it stays put during high wind storms and nighttime critter visits, and is also fire retardant. Companies can have the lid personalized if they really want their name on a trash bin cap.

There isn’t presently a great deal of detail available on how the cap attaches or detaches, so it would be nice if the campaign went a bit more into depth about this. Such information would give backers more to consider when deciding whether or not to back the Wheelie Bin. This campaign seeks to raise €10,000 (~$12,500 USD) by November 26, 2014. For €100 (~$124 USD), backers get one product with an expected delivery of March 2015.

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Arts Imaging

Kula lets your camera produce 3-D images

From movie theaters to handheld gaming consoles, 3-D photos and videos are a great way to create stunning viewing experiences, but so few people have access to the technology to create this content.

Kula is a new modification for SLR cameras and smartphones to open up the world of 3-D photography to everyone. The Kula Deeper is a lens attachment for SLR cameras that can take 3-D photography, while the Kula Bebe attaches right onto the phone’s lens for easy 3-D photos.

Using high precision mirrors, Kula takes a normal picture and captures it from two perspectives that can be combined to create a three dimensional image or video. The Kula system is flexible and works with any existing 3-D viewing technology, from the classic red and cyan anaglyph glasses and eye-crossing stereograms to 3-D TVs and Oculus Rift. Icelandic inventor Iris Olafsdottir has set Kula’s fundraising goal at 233,626 DKK (~ $40,000 USD), and buyers can get the Bebe adapter for 205 DKK (~$35 USD) beginning in March.

Kula is an affordable, easy to use way to create 3-D images to share with friends and family. The sheer number of ways Kula’s 3-D can be viewed makes it great for sharing and compatibility.