Month: January 2015

Categories
Cycling

Suit up before you ride with the wearable Mighty Click bike lock

Securing a bike is a necessary evil, lest it is left prey to unscrupulous types who can and most likely will take it. Unfortunately, most common locking mechanisms, like U-locks, cable locks, or chains, can be heavy and as a result extremely unwieldy and impractical.

The Mighty Click combines the positive aspects of these common locks into a wearable construction that sits comfortably on a rider’s waist. A thick, metal chain is sheathed by a reflector-laden cover to protect your bike from scuffs while it is locked, and can be adjusted with a adjustable belt and clip while worn. In addition, a small zippered pouch can tuck away a few dollars, a set of keys, or whatever else a rider may need for the trip.

Other attempts at bike lock convenience have focused on other parts of the bike for security, but wearing around the waist echoes what riders basically already do which lowers the the bar for comfort. The two versions, with or without a padlock, weigh in at 3.25 pounds, and go for $29 and $25, respectively. The $1,200 campaign is looking to ship the product by February 2015.

Categories
Home Pets

Termitat keeps termites in your home, doesn’t let them damage anything though

For many, termites are little creatures that slowly and silently eat houses until they crumble to the ground. Most, however, have no idea what termites look like and don’t really care because they’re associated with costly home repairs.

For the insect enthusiast who hasn’t had a bad experience with termites comes the Termitat. This small glass exhibit can be displayed at home, in the office or at school and features, you guessed it, termites. More specifically, in case anyone cares, the forest-dwelling Dampwood termite. The campaign calls this a museum-quality habitat, meaning that, hopefully, the little wood-eaters can’t get out. To feed the bugs, just drop a thimbleful of water in twice a month. Doing so will help to grow and develop the colony. An optional add-on includes a magnifier to view the bugs up close, bleh.

From the point of view of someone who doesn’t want termites anywhere near their home, this product seems a little nutty. However, insect enthusiasts may rejoice at the opportunity to keep these little foundation-miners as pets. In addition, if a visitor doesn’t know what lurks beneath, the habitats themselves are quite handsome. Either way, backers will have to donate $125 for their very own for delivery in May. Termitat is hoping to raise $5,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Tech Accessories

Blooky promises to end password hassle with a key fob device

One password for all the sites we frequented used to be the norm. More importantly, it used to be easy. Nowadays, though, having one password for every Web site is akin to a digital death sentence. With more and more attempts at your digital life by hackers targeting large companies with troves of our data and being successful at it, it’s up to us to make sure our data is protected and secure. Password managers claim to be a good solution, but they rely on exactly one password to protect you, which has proven to be a bad idea.

Blooky is a wireless Bluetooth password key that can work with laptops, desktops, phones, and tablets to relieve you of password worry. All you have to do is pair Blooky with your device and login to your desired site. After your first time, the product will save your credentials. Every login after that will see Blooky authenticate itself to decrypt the passwords it has stored, making every login effortless. It’s easy to deactivate should it fall into the wrong hands, offering several ways to remotely disable it. The company is also offering a Bluetooth LE dongle for your device should it lack the capability. The campaign is looking for $250,000, and backers can expect their $100 Blooky on their doorsteps by August 2015.

The inventors behind Blooky claim their encryption is unbroken thus far, but no encryption is perfect. Someone who wants your data badly enough will eventually succeed. Blooky will no doubt be an asset to the casual user, but runs the risk of being more of a convenience than actual protection in the long run. Backers interested in security may also want to check out the EveryKey.

Categories
Tech Accessories

PowerTower organizational stand stacks devices, cleans up cords

An excess of cords anywhere in the household can be an incredible eyesore, and one that isn’t very easy to fix without some sort of creative solution that hides the wires in some way. It’s difficult sometimes to do so with the sheer number of cords that sprout from the growing number communication peripherals, like routers, people own.

The PowerTower organizes all of these peripherals by offering a four level stand that accommodates a decent number of devices. The product was designed with spaces in its semi-circular base and spine to tuck away the many wires that need to be connected in a clean fashion, reducing the amount of snake-pit like corners in the home.

Six AC and four USB outlets ensure everything needing power gets enough of it. Since it doesn’t itself get out of the way like the WrapAround, as a consequence the stand itself can end up being the eyesore instead as it isn’t the sleekest of designs. The $100,000 campaign is looking to get the $99 PowerTower in homes by May 2015.

Categories
Sports

TorrX pumps up your sports balls, won’t burst them

Balls used in sports need constant pumping to keep them firm enough to play with. They’re constantly losing air and, if too soft, can ruin any football, basketball or soccer game. The only problem is that traditional air pumps leave you guessing. Either the ball isn’t as firm as it should be or too much air is pumped in causing the ball to burst.

TorrX is a digital air pump that takes the guesswork out of breathing new life into sports balls. To use, just turn on and select whether the ball should be pumped manually or automatically. For the manual mode, it’ll display the ball’s psi. For the automatic range, input the optimum psi and it’ll fill it to that level. TorrX is long and skinny, perfect for throwing into any sports bag.

This is a great product for any sports enthusiast, athlete or coach who constantly find themselves with weak footballs, basketballs, soccer balls or any other kinds of ball. The battery lasts long too, boasting the ability to fill up 50 soccer balls on a full charge. For their own, backers can donate $45 to receive by June 2015. TorrX is looking to raise a whopping $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Health and Wellness Home

Shower Rock steadies feet for silky smooth shaved legs

When shaving one’s legs, doing so in a shower (as opposed to a bath) can mean leaning over into some awkward and uncomfortable positions in many shower stalls – if there is any place at all to hoist one’s foot. So Shower Rock offers a place to rest that foot in order to make it easier to get that silky smooth result. The product sticks to almost any shower and the suction base twists into place to prevent the product from falling off the wall.

These simple, but effective tools can make such a difference. The rock’s textured surface helps the user’s foot stay secure during use, and the product can double as an aid for getting in or out of the shower, useful for any older or disabled backers. Shower Rock also travels well. Backers interested in a mini-spa shower experience might like to check out Octaloofah. This campaign seeks to raise $5,000. Backers may choose from four colors and get one Shower Rock for $25 with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Cooking Sensors/IoT

Nexkos Bluetooth Smart Thermometer probes meat to prepare delectable meals, worry-free

For the lucky ones among us, cooking is second nature. For everyone else, cooking anything seems like an badly performed improv class. Without an experienced cook by one’s side, finding the guidance to whip up something edible can be an overwhelming challenge. When it comes to meats, that anxiety can be felt ten fold: working with herbs and spices is delicate business, and cooking it just right is tricky.

Nexkos wants to take the guesswork out of getting grilled goods just right with their Bluetooth Smart Thermometer. The spherical device sports an LED display with the temperature of whatever the four attached probes are inserted into. This information is also relayed to the iOS or Android companion app with which temperature alerts can be set, create custom templates for recipes, and save and share the information to replicate recipes in the future. The $55 AUD (~$45 USD) Nexkos Smart Thermometer is expected to ship May 2015 provided the campaign reaches its $20,000 AUD (~$16,300 USD) goal.

The Nexkos Smart Thermometer is exceedingly similar to the already released iGrill, but the former’s four probes are better than the latter’s single probe. The Nexkos version lacks the iGrill’s proximity sensor, but that isn’t a deal breaker as they’re similarly price in either case, great for those ill-equipped to cook and affordable, too.

Categories
Health and Wellness

Eros hand sanitizer holder keeps clean close; great for dealing with scummy public

During cold and flu season, one of the best ways to stay healthy is to frequently wash hands. But for those on-the-go times when that’s not practical, Eros provides an easy way to have hand sanitizer consistently available. The dispensing gadget can be worn on a key ring, purse strap, lanyard at work or wherever one wants to have easy access to their hand sanitizer without having to search for it in a purse, pocket or desk.

Eros is great for any kind of teacher, public servant or traveler who encounter the germ-ridden public a lot and would like to remain clean. The product is easy to refill but it’s not clear whether it comes with a clip or if one has to purchase that separately. Eros is available in several colors and styles. Interested backers may also want to check out Loodini and Screen Sock. This campaign seeks to raise $30,000. Backers get one kit for an exorbitant $250 with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Sensors/IoT Sleep

Smartphone-adjustable ThinkPillow measures sleep, wakes you up

Sleep is one of the most important ways to stay healthy. Sleeping resets mind, body, and soul, giving the chance for healing. However, most have trouble with their sleep patterns, either waking up in the middle of a REM cycle or sleeping for too short of a time.

ThinkPillow is a smart pillow that is fully adjustable in height and firmness. It is designed with special technology aimed at fixing any kind of spinal pain. Not only does it come with comfort, however, but it also tracks your sleep patterns. With this data, the accompanying smartphone app can choose when to wake you so that you’ll feel alert and refreshed instead of bedraggled and exhausted.

ThinkPillow’s smartphone app charts sleep patterns over time and, as such, can be useful to physicians if something goes wrong. In addition, it lets the user track what they’re doing three hours before bedtime and can make suggestions based on those habits. For instance, if the user isn’t getting enough sleep, but drinks coffee every night, the app will tell them to cut it out. ThinkPillow also spies on family members and lets users see the sleep patterns of mom, grandma, dad or whoever else uses the device.

Getting the right amount of sleep can be truly difficult. They say you should get out of bed when you initially wake up in the morning, but if that’s too early for some, they’d rather get another half an hour of sleep. It’s great that ThinkPillow can tell when the person is actually asleep, not just when they intend to be asleep, and uses that to wake them up in the morning. While well-intentioned, the family sharing feature may get a little annoying to some. Though it is good for elderly family members who are too far away to check up on. One ThinkPillow can be had for $102 NZD (~$79 USD) for estimated delivery in April 2015. This product hopes to raise $50,000 NZD (~$38,800 USD) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Podcasts

The Backerjack Podcast, Episode 2 with Ross Rubin and Steven Sande

Episode 2 of The Backerjack Podcast is here! Backerjack editor and industry analyst Ross Rubin and TUAW editor Steven Sande discuss the merits and metrics of some of the most innovative products being offered through crowdfunding campaigns.. Up this week:

Feel free to enjoy by clicking below!

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