Month: December 2014

Categories
Chargers/Batteries

Locked USB cuts off the data, keeps the juice flowing

While traveling can be exciting, traveling without the convenience of mobile gadgets can range from annoying to scary. And when they aren’t fully charged, it can feel as if all is lost. While many places offer public charging ports, this can mean a risk of breached data. That’s why Locked USB was created. Users can get their mobiles juiced while this portable charger adapter with a built-in firewall blocks data thieves and viruses. Another nice feature is that gadget charging time is significantly reduced when LockedUSB is used.

A similar product, USB Condom, made it from crowd funding into the marketplace,and USB Umbrella, an even higher quality product, are well on their way due to successful campaigns. For those who would prefer avoiding public charging ports altogether, check out the Kodiak, Z-charge, and ChargeAll campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $25,750. Early bird backers get one product for $20 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Connected Objects Smart Home Technology

PLAYBULB rainbow light offers energy efficiency, color LED lighting

Consumers looking to save money on their electric bills represent one major audience for the new PLAYBULB rainbow LED light bulb from San Jose company MiPow USA. But the likely smaller base of consumers who want to add color lighting–red, blue, green and white–to their rooms represent another target audience for the product, which is from the same company that made the PLAYBULB color.

Each bulb offers 5 watts at full power with 280 lumens and an estimated 30,000 hours of lifetime performance. That compares to standard incandescent light bulbs that offer comparable lumens, but use up 40 watts of power and only work for a total of about 1,000 hours. A free PLAYBULB X app at the Apple App Store and Google Play can be used to set the timer for when the bulb turns on or off. Users can also select what color they want at any specific time from the color wheel on the app. Backers can get one bulb at $22 in February as part of a super early bird special. That’s $12.99 off the $34.99 retail price. The bulb’s creator set a Kickstarter funding goal of $10,000.

The bulb will likely appeal to many consumers. But it’s questionable whether the average consumer will want to pay more than $30 for one LED bulb, regardless of its energy efficiency, smart functionality and color choices.

Categories
Apparel Running

JogTog+ wrap holds the phone, covers buns for women on runs

Running is a favorite activity for fitness enthusiasts. It requires no expensive gym membership and is a great way to stay in shape. Just leave the house and go. The only thing is that it’s hard to store keys, music players and other accessories in those tight workout clothes that are all the rage nowadays.

JogTog+ is like a personal mud flap for runners. This wrap fits around the waist and hips and ties at the front, so it fits all sizes and comes in different colors. It has reflective pieces on the back for maximum visibility. With three pockets, you can store snacks, a wallet, music player and keys conveniently and securely. JogTog+ also features a small hole for earbuds to fit through.

JogTog+ elaborates upon existing exercise clothes that have pockets. With multiple pockets, it spreads out the weight of accessories so that nothing is bouncing up and down too heavily. If it just ties, however, the creators may want to consider a stronger method of security. One will cost backers $30 for estimated delivery in March 2015. JogTog+ is hoping to raise $10,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Smart Home

The Room Central Bluetooth controller keeps the temperature just right

The more ubiquitous Bluetooth technology becomes, the more the disparate elements in people’s lives are united so as to be easily controlled. Things all around and outside the home used to be governed by mechanisms needing physical action, but now can be adjusted with simple taps of a button. This technology, along with the sensors that work in tandem with it, allow users a level of control previously unfamiliar.

A good example of that is the Room Central Bluetooth controller. It connects to heaters, coolers, or anything with a mechanical heating or cooling controls (like greenhouses or rice cookers) and relays temperature information to an iOS or Android smartphone. Its companion app allows for scheduling and remote control from up to 25 feet and imparts lots of smarts on previously dumb items in the home. An LED display on the unit itself ensures users won’t need to unlock your phone every time they need to check on temperature, too. The Room Central controller goes for $100 and is expected in March 2015 provided the campaign reaches its $64,900 goal.

Categories
Automotive Technology

SoundRacer VX FM transmitter lets station wagons live their dreams

Although we may have cars that can easily push the speed limits most people are comfortable with, limits are placed on the road to keep them in check. This is obviously done with safety in mind, but there’s an unfortunate aspect to all of this as the daily grind reduces our powerful vehicles to boxes that merely transport us. As a result, most people never truly experience the thrill of true, unencumbered speed.

Inventor Kenneth Palmestål wants to spice up the daily commute with the SoundRacer VX FM transmitter. With it, anyone can experience the intense roars of Italian V10 supercars simply by plugging the product into a car’s cigarette lighter and revving up the engine. The included microSD slot offers space for multiple car engine profules, so users can switch over to an American muscle car or even a motorcycle with a tap of a button. The device can also transmit music from a smartphone or a music player whenever you’d like some smooth jazz as a counterpoint. Combine with the Pocket Jump to make sure the fun keeps going. The kr600,00 (~$79,530) campaign is looking to get the kr495 (~$66) product out to backers by May 2015.

Categories
Sensors/IoT Wearables

Breathe easy with the TZOA wearable environmental tracker

The more the world undergoes urbanization, the worse air pollution becomes. Unfortunately, the environment around us is largely invisible and therefore most people don’t pay attention to it even if our health is being adversely affected. The people who do pay attention to what’s going on feel generally powerless to do anything about it mainly because they don’t have the tools at their disposal to make their case, having to rely on spotty and infrequent monitoring by governments that don’t prove very much at all.

The team behind the TZOA wearable environmental tracker is looking to put some smarts in the hands of those concerned. The tracker is outfitted with a proprietary optical air quality sensor that’s able to detect particulate matter 2.5, or PM 2.5. These tiny floating particles are found in harmful pollutants, like car exhaust and the smoke that results from wood burning, and cause permanent damage to our lungs.

Keeping the levels of PM 2.5 in the environment manageable is key to fortifying air quality, so TZOA’s companion app alerts you to elevated levels of contaminants and suggests actions to clean up the air around you. The app also collects the data to create an air quality map so that others can easily see current levels, overtime composing an air quality timeline for reference. The TZOA environmental tracker is $150 CAD (~$130 USD), and backers will receive the device in August of 2015 should its campaign reach its $110,000 CAD (~$96,000 USD) goal.

The TZOA team has similar ambitions to those behind the AirBeam in that they aim to create a platform where people can stay informed using crowd-sourced data about pollution. The AirBeam includes a few more sensors at a premium, but it seems like it would be more worth it as people are already using the AirBeam versus the unreleased product in the TZOA. In any case, as much as the problem of air pollution is a problem of information, various disconnected platforms addressing the same issue in the same way will ultimately do no good in the long run.

 

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness Lighting

Sunn smart LED fixture fights off winter blues

It’s been proven that natural light is key in maintaining the body’s internal clock. Unfortunately, most people don’t get the exposure necessary to keep their internal rhythms in check, which can lead to a myriad of physical and psychological health issues. The team behind the Sunn is looking to bring the sun indoors to address the issue.

The product is a smart LED light fixture that replicates the rhythm of the sun, bathing any room in a person’s home with diffuse light of gradual strengths throughout the day. Sunn gradually brightens to gently waken users in the morning, produces cool, white colors to stimulate focus and productivity during the afternoon, the lights wind down to during sunset, and at night Sunn glows warm like the embers of a fire, a natural indicator it’s time to go to bed.

A companion app places total control of Sunn in a user’s hands, and can be used to sync the light to a location, change lighting conditions, or set alarms using gradual light. It can also be used with Philips Hue and LIFX lighting, as well. The science to support a product like this is there, so the idea definitely warrants a backing. The standard 19-inch Sunn is $289, and the 24-inch Sunn Plus is $349. Backers can expect the Sunn in April 2015 provided the campaign reaches its $50,000 goal.

Categories
Cycling Safety

WingLights handlebar lights turn on with a tap, offer better visibility, signaling

Biking is an incredibly fun way of exploring any city, but is an activity full of danger when riding in traffic. Cyclists who are properly outfitted with the essential safety gear still have to be seen at all and the hand signals that are recommended simply cannot be seen most of the time, especially during inclement weather or at night. As such, the way cyclists have to grab attention has evolved and WingLights wants to make it easy.

WingLights are magnetically attached to ends of a bike’s handlebars. A single tap activates bright, flashing amber lights, mimicking the turning signal of vehicles already on the road. Most drivers won’t notice arms flailing to signal direction, but they’ll most definitely see the light emitted from the WingLights. When you’re done with your ride, they’re easily detachable and combine to create a keyring for easy transportation. The product’s aluminum structure makes it very resistant and durable—it’s just a shame that there isn’t a version for drop bars or bullhorns, some of the more popular handlebar designs on the market now. A set of WingLights during the campaign goes for £19 (~$30), estimated to be delivered by May 2015. The campaign is hoping to raise £8,500 (~$13,400) to complete mass production.

Categories
Health and Wellness

The VIX Jive lets you train your cane to hang

Nope, it doesn’t require a smartphone or an app. Not even a tablet or Bluetooth or any other electronic gadgetry. But it will make canes behave and prevent them from tumbling to the ground when not in use. The VIX Jive is a cane accessory that can be attached to any cane or walking stick via the included Velcro strips. That means no special tools are required for assembly. The product’s unique clamping system can be connected to any tabletop, positioned, and then pressing down for the clamp to activate. If there isn’t a table surface handy, there is also a hook so that the user’s cane could be hung on a chair or some other convenient place.

Losing one’s cane or having it clatter to the floor can mean an awkward moment for users. Vix Jive prevents such occurrences and its versatility means that it can go anywhere the cane can. Other items mobility assistance items that backers may want to check out include the Movi Wheelchair,  Beech Walker Sand Crab, and Backtrack. This campaign seeks to raise €6,265 (~$7,800). For €12 (~$15) backers get one product with an expected delivery of December 2014.

Categories
Smart Home

Amphiro b1 smart meter smartens up about showers

Every part of the home seems like a threat to your energy bill. The stove, the air conditioner, and the microwave are villains in the saga of undue energy consumption in our lives. Until now, not having enough information was the biggest problem in this battle. Now, devices like the amphiro a1 exist to provide information about temperature and amount of water used so that users can stay on top of things.

What it doesn’t have, though, is a Bluetooth LE chip to communicate with other devices, a lack their Kickstarter campaign wants to address. The amphiro b1 would be the next version of the flagship product, and its release would coincide with a companion app to take advantage of its new technology. With it, users will be able to compare consumption with others and set goals or alarms. A developer API will allow anyone to tinker around with the product itself, allowing all kinds of interesting applications. And considering that it’s powered by a micro-turbine within that spins with the water flow, the amphiro b1 itself is eco-friendly too. Right now, the product is going for £49 (~$77) and can be expected in May 2015. The campaign’s goal is a cool £20,000 (~$31,300).

Smart metering has become the cure-all for our consumption issues, and the amphiro has already proven successful with its a1 model. It’s b1 iteration with Bluetooth LE capability will only make the device better, but it ultimately seems like baby steps in territory already conquered by a fellow product in the space, the Eva Smart Shower. Eva already does everything the amphiro b1 does and adds a motion sensor alongside more customization, at a higher price point. In any case, more options can only be good, and the amphiro b1 is a solid one.