Categories
Tech Accessories

PC Daddy converts your computer into a multiband radio receiver

There is still a contingent of traditional radio enthusiasts out there. No doubt some of them would love to get access to a much wider offering of traditional radio stations on their PCs than is currently possible now.

PC Daddy is a USB AM/FM/shortwave radio device that can transform a Windows-based computer into a multi-band radio receiver without spending a lot of money. Once connected to a computer, the small (3.5″x4.5″) box enables users to completely control all functions of the radio from a PC screen and hear the sound through the computer’s speakers. Backers who pledge $185 will get a PC Daddy when it ships in December.  This product is looking to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter.

The product has promise, albeit for a very niche audience. DXing enthusiasts who like to receive distant radio stations will probably like the fact that PC Daddy displays the location, city, and distance from the user of the possible stations tuned on AM and shortwave modes. That feature gives them the ability to have a good idea of what station they are listening to without relying on the station to announce its call letters, especially if the announcement is made in a foreign language. PC Daddy is comparable to Winradio products, but cheaper.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries

HDkey provides phone-to-phone charging, data sharing

There are times when it would be enormously handy to be able to use a friend’s cellphone to charge a cellphone. HDkey is a device that can be used to do just that. But in addition to phone-to-phone charging, it can also be used for high-speed data transfer of HD video and images.

HDkey offers high speed data sharing with more than 20 times times the speed of Bluetooth. Another key feature is integrated NFC that enables users to share business cards or perform any other kind of data transfer with others in the vicinity. With just a tap of HDkey on a client’s cellphone with NFC capability, the user’s contact details will be stored on the client’s cellphone. Backers can get HDkey for pledges starting at only $10. But it’s not clear how much the device will sell for at retail or when it will ship. WaferLabs is hoping to raise $500 on Indiegogo.

The device is promising. But it’s hard to gauge just how strong demand can be until the retail price is clear. It seems like a strong deal for its $10 or $11 early bird perk offers. However, backers will have to cough up additional money to have it shipped outside of India. HDkey will also only work on phones with microUSB connections.

Categories
Connected Objects Displays

Immersis provides immersive gaming without the bulky headset

editors-choiceOne huge knock against virtual reality devices like the Oculus Rift is that they require users to wear bulky headsets to experience their immersive effects. The Immersis projector provides a similar kind of immersive experience for interactive gaming and other video viewing, but doesn’t require any headsets.

The device instead projects panoramic video images onto the user’s wall, enabling multiple players or movie watchers to get the same kind of effect as a virtual reality headset. The first version of Immersis uses technology based on real-time adaptation of an image to fit the shape and size of whatever room the user is in. The device is easy to set up and use. The projection technology is compatible with all existing display technologies currently on the market, either with conventional lamps, LEDs or lasers. The image format will be at least full HD (1920×1080).

Connected to a computer, Immersis can project any kind of video content at 180 degrees. If the content is two-dimensional, the projection is flat. If the content is panoramic, 180 degrees, videogames or 3D applications, the projection will be at 180 degrees. A TV, monitor or tablet can be integrated into the projection, either to benefit from the higher resolution or for a specific interaction on one of the screens. Existing game controllers can be used with the device. Backers who pledge $1,000 as part of an early bird offer will get the system when it ships in October. Immersis is looking to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

The system is certainly unique and holds some promise. While its degree of immersion is likely not quite in the same ballpark as what is provided by the Oculus Rift, it may be good enough for some people. But it will likely only appeal to a very niche consumer base–namely hardcore gamers. The required configuration could further turn off some other consumers.

Categories
Tablet Accessories

Gerp Mount alleviates tablet shoulders, has many more tricks up its sleeves

patent-claimedAs comfortable as smartphones are to hold, tablets unfortunately don’t enjoy the same reputation. With the increased size comes an increased strain on the arms, shoulder, and neck of the user holding it up, causing a sense of discomfort that can’t easily be addressed.

The Gerp Mount is looking to relieve the issue with its ergonomically-constructed, rugged utility mount. Although it’s primarily advertised as a tablet grip and hands-free stand, the Gerp’s versatility truly shines in the variety of ways a user can use it outside of a tablet. To be frank, using it as a tablet grip is pretty redundant in most cases, but using it as a makeshift clothes rack or attaching a GoPro or a GPS to the grip makes so much more useful in places like the home and the car. The downside to all the different attachments necessary to do so is the loss of overall focus, simplicity, and aesthetic appeal as a result.

Those who are attached to their tablet with welcome the $80 Gerp Mount and set of accessories with open palms. The $15,000 campaign is looking to ship the product by April 2015.

Categories
Home

Shower Shimmy makes cleaning less irritating both for mind and body

Cleaning the shower is one of those tasks that ranks right up there with washing the dishes by hand.  So Shower Shimmy was created to not only make that mundane task easier, but also diminish the awful fumes that often come with using cleaning supplies.

At the push of a button, the built-in dispenser releases cleaning solution to the sponge and the user can then wipe soap scum, grime, and hard water deposits off of the shower walls and floor. But this cleaning solution doesn’t irritate the user’s eyes, skin or respiratory system, so ventilation and rubber gloves aren’t necessary.

It’s questionable if such a solution would truly be effective, but the video claims that testing was done to compare Shower Shimmy’s solution and the leading cleaning solution in the US and Canada, and the Shower Shimmy claims that its cleaning solution scored equally well. Plus, it’s still as safe as soap or shampoo around small children. As for where to store the scrubber, it easily hangs on the shower wall. This campaign seeks to raise $5,000 by February 17, 2015. Backers get one product for $23 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries Nutrition/Hydration

EFFIC mug holds coffee, charges smartphones too

For people on the go, a typical morning routine may include grabbing a coffee and checking smartphones. If that’s the case, the EFFIC mug may be the solution the connected crowd did not know they were looking for. The mug combines a traditional thermos with the utility of a smartphone charger all in one.

The mug comes in a variety of bright colors and is molded with an indent designed to hold a device with the help of a magnet. The other side of the magnet attaches directly to the smartphone. EFFIC uses an external lithium-ion battery that can fully charge a device up to three times. The inner container is made out of stainless steel and BPA-free plastic.

While it may be nice to have a device nestled in the side of a coffee mug, users may not want their smartphones right next to liquid. The company touts a leak-free lid, but most thermoses leak anyway. Pledging $5 or more gets backers the EFFIC mug for delivery in May 2015. The campaign is looking to raise at least $58,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Wearable WyOki myOki uses light to communicate, socialize with others

Wearable devices can be used for multiple applications, running the gamut from fitness tracking to taking photos and videos. The Brussels-based maker of the new WyOki myOki have added communication with light to the list.

The wearable myOki device can be worn around the wrist like a watch, around the neck like a necklace, or even worn like a button or badge on clothing or on a backpack. There are 16 customizable light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the device. Users can choose and customize colored rings on the device that fit the mood or situation they are in at a particular moment. As part of the device’s social functionality, the wearer can potentially meet new people by bumping into others wearing the device if they are displaying similar looking rings.

The accompanying WyOki app for iOS, Android, and Windows smartphones enables users to organize different social media profiles to display them on the myOki device in an organized and uncluttered fashion. For example, the user’s favorite shade of blue can be used for Facebook notifications, or red can be used to remind the user of an important email. Potentially, all the fans of a sports team can program their devices to display the same color at the same time as a show of support for the team. Backers of the device’s Indiegogo campaign can get a device at $115 when it ships in May. The device’s makers are looking to raise $160,000 on Indiegogo to help bring the device to market. The hardware is nearly done, with most of the functional and product design work already finalized. A successful campaign will enable the device’s makers to start ordering tools and parts that are still needed.

There is no denying that the device features an original and intriguing user interface. But it’s questionable whether many consumers will be willing to pay more than $100 for a device that doesn’t have a heavily in-demand application like fitness tracking. The social functionality is potentially appealing to many consumers, but only when and if a significant number of other people are using the device.

Categories
Smart Home

Domus home automation system regulates your domicile’s energy

Smart home systems are all the rage these days. People love the ability to control and keep and eye on their homes when they’re away.

Domus is another smart home automation solution that monitors electronic devices in the home via an app for Android and iPhones. But the product goes one step further, allowing the user to also save energy by monitoring power consumption and calculating what the energy bill will be. It notifies the user if a space heater or other appliance has been on too long, which not only conservers energy, but also could prevent an accident.

The black remote control unit that serves as the system’s hub has a built-in Wi-Fi repeater module that enables the product to also extend the user’s Wi-Fi range. The user plugs a smart iPlug into any standard power outlet, then connects a device to the iPlug and downloads the app to control that device. Backers who pledge $39 CAD (~$33 USD) will get one smart plug, while those who pledge $49 CAD (~$41 USD) will get one remote control unit when Domus ships in June. The Vancouver company, Domus Living, is looking to raise $100,000 CAD (~$83,600 USD) on Kickstarter.

Domus Living’s combined focus on home automation and energy consumption regulation, along with the added Wi-Fi extender function add value to the product. But, as is the case with similar products, including Linkio, one drawback is that the more devices the user wants to incorporate into the system, the larger the cost because each one needs a separate smart plug.

Categories
Kids/Babies Maker/Development Toys

Cirkits sewable electronic kit encourages STEM skills, no old ladies in sight

Sewing is an action most popularly associated with the dry cleaners most go to when tragedy strikes their favorite pair of pants. As such, most people don’t thinking of sewing as a fun activity, a huge reason why more and more children are growing up without it.

The team behind the Cirkits sewable electronic kit thinks sewing can be a valuable part of a children’s play, and are harkening back to a time when sewing kits for children were an inspiration for everyone from Charles Eames to Frank Lloyd Wright. Their product brings sewing into the 21st century by combining it with the ability for children to make simple, series, and parallel circuits to animate the circus-themed cards packaged within the kit.

Beginner Cirkits cards come with a plastic sewing needle, conductive thread, a battery, and sewable LEDs, while advanced cards also enclose a motor, a sound buzzer, and a microcontroller for movement and sound, all to encourage storytelling, imaginative play, and curiosity in the sciences. A basic set of cards is priced at $30, while a set of all six cards of various levels is priced at $80. The $15,000 campaign is looking to ship Cirkits by December 2015.

This product certainly has a place alongside the many other toys no doubt occupying the attention of little ones all over, especially as more and more toys are released that aim to teach more STEM skills. Products like Bildy, XYZ, and Assembly are all in good company with Cirkits, and make for more engaged childrenas long as they can be pried from their tablets and game consoles.

Categories
Furniture Tech Accessories

Curvilux hangs out in your bedroom to keep gadgets charged while you snooze

Where to store electronic gadgets at night has become its own 21st century conundrum. Smartphones and tablets and other devices need to be charged so that they are ready to go and last all the way through the following day.

Curvilux is a new type of bedside table that includes built in USB charging ports, or items can be charged wirelessly. It also has a built-in audio system that syncs with Bluetooth so a person can even awake to their favorite tunes, and includes an NFC connector. The built-in lighting unit allows for two options: a bright light for bedside reading, or a floor light if one finds that they need to get up at night. The nightstand includes attachable legs for a freestanding unit, or wall attachments if preferred.

This seems like a very quality product with a lot of great features that people can really use. Many desks focus on tech convenience, but few nightstands ever have. The design isn’t bad either. Backers might also like to check out Z-charge. This campaign seeks to raise $50,000 on Indiegogo. For $100, backers get one product with an expected delivery of December 2015.