Author: Jeff Berman

Categories
Health and Wellness Sensors/IoT

IDo smart thermometer measures temperature continuously, syncs with smartphone

The problem with a traditional thermometer is that it doesn’t continuously measure a sick user’s temperature. There is no way for it to keep track of fever spikes that can happen in the middle of the night –- especially dangerous when it’s a young child who is sick.

The iDo smart thermometer measures and monitors temperature accurately and continuously after being placed underneath an armpit using disposable patches. IDo Smart is the companion mobile app that the company is developing for the device. IDo is about the size of a U.S. dollar coin and uses Bluetooth LE to transform the data to the app. An open software development kit is also being made available for developers to build their own iDo integration into their products. Backers who pledge $35 AUD (~$29 USD) will get an iDo in March as part of a Kickstarter early bird promotion. Qodome is hoping to raise $10,000 AUD (~$8,200 USD) on Kickstarter.

The number of mobile devices that the app can be used with is still limited, which could limit its appeal. As of now, it will only work with the iPhone 4S or newer iPhones, fifth-generation iPod Touch 5G, iPad 3G or newer iPads, and recent Android devices including the Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5. It also faces competition from rivals including the similar Fever Smart which goes the extra mile with cloud integration.

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Maker/Development Smart Home

Personal Robot combines home automation with facial recognition, other technologies

editors-choiceHaving a device in the house that can function as a personal assistant, while also serving as a home automation system would come in handy. Especially when it combines far-field voice recognition with emotion, facial and object recognition. Introducing the Personal Robot, one such device, from the New York-based company Robotbase.

Personal Robot features a 3D depth camera and noise canceling microphone array technology, and it can communicate with the user’s connected devices via wireless Z-Wave Plus, Zigbee, BLE and Wi-Fi. The far-field voice recognition enables the device to hear the user’s commands all the way from the other side of the room. The user can ask Personal Robot for information including the local weather, news, sports scores and recipes, as the video on its Kickstarter campaign shows. The device can also be used to play music, schedule meetings, set alarms, and control the temperature in a home to save energy and money. Backers who pledge $995 will get one when it ships in December. Its maker set a goal of raising $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Other devices on the market have attempted some of the same functionality. But Personal Robot’s advanced software, which incorporates deep learning algorithms, give it an advantage over some competing products. Some consumers might find the computer-animated female character that is featured on the device’s screen a bit creepy, although the device’s maker says the user can change how she looks.

Categories
Music

Sugr Cube wireless speaker plays music, offers sweet touch functionality

There are many Wi-Fi speakers on the market, but other than doing away with wires, they tend to work very much like old-fashioned wired speakers.

The China-based creators of the Sugr Cube Wi-Fi speaker have designed their product to directly stream online music, while also offering intuitive touch control functionality. The user just has to tap the speaker to play or pause a song, tilt it left or right for the next or prior song, double tap it to share the current song with those who have paired their own Sugr Cubes, and touch it and leave the hand there to share the current song with Facebook friends

The companion iOS app enables easy Wi-Fi setup, multi-room control, sleeping mode and alarm, and the ability to keep updating the speaker with new features. Android and other unspecified devices will be supported soon. Sugr Cube, which comes in wooden housing, currently supports iTunes music, Pandora and BBC radio. Other services may be added later. Backers who pledge $119 will get the speaker when it ships in June as part of an early bird Kickstarter discount. Its maker is looking to raise $50,000.

The speaker has a lot of promise. Although there are other Wi-Fi speakers that offer some degree of touch control, like the Aether Cone, Sugr Cube uses the feature more extensively. But it faces the same problem as any other speaker sold online by a new company: There is no way to gauge how good it sounds without hearing it in person.

Categories
Smart Home

Neeo thinking remote is the one system that can control all devices in your home

editors-choiceHaving a smart automation system that can control all the devices in a home is something that a growing number of consumers are looking for. Neeo from the Cupertino, California, company of the same name combines some of the best features of a mobile app-based smart home automation system with those of a universal remote control. It also adds a few features that rival devices just don’t have, such as four antennas that integrate Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi, ZigBee and Z-Wave protocol functionality.

There are two main parts of the Neeo system: the “Brain,” a small hockey puck-shaped device made of solid aluminum and acrylic glass, that will command all of the user’s devices, including TVs and Blu-ray players; and the remote, which provides instant control of all those devices. Sensors in the attractive remote detect the user’s palm and matches it with that person’s profile. It then displays that person’s personal playlists, movies and favorites from connected devices instantly, the company claims. Also attractive is the remote’s 291 pixels per inch touch display.

If the user can’t find the remote, an SOS alarm function that is activated via an iOS or Android smartphone will help track it down. Neeo has a database of more than 30,000 devices that it can connect to and control, and is compatible with all major AV products made in the last 10 years. Kickstarter backers who pledge $148 will get one Brain in April and the free app. Those who pledge $219 will, in May, get the Brain and the remote in either the standard aluminum version or one of two limited edition SKUs, in black or white. The system’s maker is looking to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

As long as the Neeo remote is indeed compatible with as many devices as the company claims and the set-up process is as simple as it says, the system is among the most promising products to come along in the home automation and universal remote categories lately. It surpasses most similar devices including last year’s Droplit. As a universal remote, it also stands to be a major challenger to the popular Harmony remotes from Logitech.

Categories
Virtual Reality

PRO3D virtual reality headset aims to bring stereoscopic 3D to the masses

Virtual reality has become one of the hotter technologies of the past couple of years. But the Oculus Rift and others of its ilk have yet to become available to consumers and, when they do, aren’t expected to be cheap.

The Long Beach, California, maker of the PRO3D stereoscopic 3D and virtual reality viewer is aiming to bring similar technology to the masses with an inexpensive attachment for the iPhone 6 Plus. Their model won’t be anywhere near as bulky as the Oculus Rift and other similar devices. Backers who pledge $29 will get a bare bones version of the attachment when it ships in June. Those who pledge $47 or $86 will get more elaborately designed versions of the product. Its maker is looking to raise $39,700 on Kickstarter.

This isn’t the first cheap virtual reality product for smartphones, following on the heels of devices including ShareVR. PRO3D’s focus on only one smartphone model stands to limit its appeal significantly. If the effect it provides–the quality of which is impossible to tell from its Kickstarter campaign video–is mediocre or worse, that will cut down on its chances even further.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

Kalt turns your mobile device into an infrared thermometer

One of the nice, convenient features of smartphones is their ability to tell users exactly what the temperature is outside with just a glance at an app. Kalt is for smartphone users who have wanted to take that a step further and be able to use the device to tell them the temperature of objects all around them.

The Kalt sensor, from Cleveland company Robogaia Industries, plugs into a smartphone or tablet and works in conjunction with an iOS and Android-friendly app. The sensor reads the infrared energy that an object emits without actually touching it and translates that into a readable temperature of the user’s choice between Fahrenheit, Celsius or Kelvin.

The sensor’s case is a semitransparent plastic that lets the user see some details of the internal components. It is being fielded in four color options: blue, green, orange and yellow. Backers who pledge $41 will get one sensor when it ships in March as part of an early bird Kickstarter deal. Robogaia is looking to raise $9,999.

The device holds some potential if its sensor is truly accurate. Certainly it would be nice to know the temperature of certain electronic devices that may be overheating, for example. But the company doesn’t do a good job of demonstrating any perfect use-case scenarios in its Kickstarter campaign video.

Categories
Smart Home

HomeTraq monitoring system tracks second home, reports any funny business

Keeping tabs on a rarely-visited second home with a remote home monitoring system presents a special challenge. That’s because most monitoring system depend on either a landline or Internet connection–two things many people don’t want to pay for unless they are actually at home.

The HomeTraq remote monitoring device resolves that issue by using a SIM card that does away with the need for a landline or Internet connection. HomeTraq monitors the temperature, humidity and alarm system of a property, and also keeps track of unusual sounds. A SMS text or email alert will be sent if the device detects an issue, such as the property being too hot or cold.

HomeTraq comes with a SIM card that will not expire and automatically roams until it finds a cellular network to connect to. There is no contract or activation fee. But there is a $6 fee for any month that the user wants the SIM card to monitor the home. However, users can opt to use their own SIM cards to avoid paying that monthly charge. Backers who pledge $29 will get a HomeTraq device when it ship in May as part of a discounted early bird Kickstarter special. The Lewisville, Texas, inventor is trying to raise $15,000 by early February.

The device is clearly designed for a very niche market. But there are many consumers who will find it appealing–such as snowbirds who spend half the year in Florida and half the year in a colder place.

Categories
Wearables

FitLinxx device keeps you fit with a thin strip of adhesive

One downside of many wearable fitness devices is that they are too bulky to be comfortable, especially while exercising. Smart watches, rings and other wearable smart jewelry solve that issue, but some people either find them unattractive or don’t want to replace watches and other jewelry they already own.

The AmpStrip from FitLinxx in Westborough, MA eliminates both of those issues. The thin, waterproof device is only 3.5 inches long, 1 inch wide, less than one quarter of an inch thick including its adhesive, and weighs less than 4 ounces. Despite being as discrete and comfortable as a Band-Aid when stuck to the user’s torso, it’s able to track heart rate and activity around the clock with accuracy, the company claims.

The device is compatible with Bluetooth LE mobile devices including smartphones and tablets, and the company’s goal is to make it work in conjunction with smart watches, too, including those from Apple and Samsung. Backers who provide $119 in financing to AmpStrip’s Indiegogo campaign will get an AmpStrip when it ships in June, along with a wireless charging station and 30 adhesives, good for 3-6 months depending on how often the user opts to replace them. FitLinxx is looking to raise $50,000 to make further innovations to the device, which marks its first foray into consumer products.

It is a crowded market, but AmpStrip’s design and comfort level should give it a leg up on rivals. Even the LEO flexible leg band appears to be more bulky than AmpStrip. But the FitLinxx product does come saddled with necessary refills. On top of the initial cost, users will have to fork up $30 each time they need another 3-6 month supply of adhesives.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

Indi robotic dock waves arms to signal you have a phone call

The problem with putting a mobile phone in vibrate mode is that the user will often miss an important call, especially when the phone is kept on a desk at work and there is no way to feel or hear the vibration. The Indi robotic phone dock from a U.K. inventor is attempting to resolve that issue.

The dock has a set of robotic arms that signal when a phone call is coming in. The device consists of a docking unit containing an Arduino micro-controller and an app that users will be prompted to download the first time they plug it into a phone. Initially, the device will only support Android phones, but iPhone support is on its way. Backers who pledge £35 (~$53) will get one when it ships in May as part of an early bird discount deal on its Kickstarter campaign. Indi’s maker is hoping to raise £2,500 (~$3,800).

Indi is a clever spin on the traditional phone dock. It could be especially useful to hard-of-hearing smartphone users. But one inherent drawback is that it is only useful when the user is stationary. Even then, however, if the user is busy, it is possible that person won’t see the small robotic dock’s arms moving when a phone call comes in.

Categories
Connected Objects

AiFi speakers promise great sound, Lego-like stacking capabilities

It takes a lot to come up with an original concept in speaker systems anymore. The last major new speaker category to become a hit was the sound bar, which achieved popularity thanks to the growth of flat-panel TVs. The makers of aiFi (Artificial Intelligence Fidelity), however, seem to have come up with a somewhat unique twist.

AiFi is being positioned as the Lego of sound systems because the small, modular speakers can be stacked one on top of the other and used in conjunction with any audio source. Although one unit is enough to fill a room with sound, stacking them makes the sound louder and serves to enhance the quality of the sound in general. The speakers can be stacked together and built in any configuration the user wants. On the top of each speaker are two grooves that make the rubber feet on the bottom fit securely. Speakers placed next to each other connect magnetically.

A smartphone app for the speaker system turns the user’s mobile device into a remote control. AiFi’s Bluetooth solution is compatible with iOS, OS X, Android and Windows. When stacked, the aiFi speakers will inform the app about their configuration. The speakers use top-of-the-line ADC converters and a 192kHz/24bit digital sound processor. The standard finish of the speaker is brushed aluminum and backers can get one, along with various accessories and other extras, for $170 with an estimated delivery date of April 2015. AiFi is looking to raise $80,000 on Indiegogo.

There have been stackable speakers before, but they have tended to be low-end portable models designed to be used exclusively with mobile devices. The aiFi, however, is being targeted for use with any two-channel sources, especially flat-panel TVs. If the sound quality of aiFi is as strong as its maker claims, the product is enormously promising.