Author: Michael Radon

Categories
Health and Wellness

Movi wheelchair gives its users a lift

The wheelchair is meant to keep people struggling with sickness or injury from being completely immobile. Yet for all the good the wheelchair does, its design has remained unchanged for decades, and it is certainly not the picture of comfort.

Movi Medical has developed two new kinds of wheelchairs designed to be a comfortable sitting surface as well as a mobility solution for those that need it. With a host of ergonomic improvements, the Movi Transport Chairs are easier on the patient and anyone responsible for helping the patient move, from hospital staff to friends and family. The curving shape of the Movi seat is easier on the spine, and the improvements made to the footrests make standing up out of the chair not only easier, but less hazardous. The chair leans up and forward, putting the footrests flat onto the floor, making it easy to step off and out of the Movi.

The Movi M2, a slightly more deluxe chair, features padded armrests, storage compartments on the sides of the wheelchair, and an adjustable headrest designed to create an experience that is just as much about comfort as it is mobility. Movi Medical has partnerships lined up with hospitals and medical companies already, but is looking for $50,000 in orders to show an interest in home buyers for their products. The base M1 Movi chair costs $2,395 and will be delivered by the end of the year.

When one first looks at a Movi Transport Chair, it’s actually a little insulting that the base design of wheelchairs has gone unchanged for so long. Movi chairs emphasize patient comfort as much as their ability to get around, and anyone who has had to sit in a wheelchair for even a couple of hours can appreciate that. It’s a niche buyer’s market, but it’s a product worth supporting.

 

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Video Games

GenX Cardtroller flattens the controller, possibly mobile game opponents

Smartphones are packed with enough power to tackle a ton of applications or functions, including games. For those that grew up on the classics, however, gaming just doesn’t feel right without a controller to hold on to.

There have been plenty of peripherals released for phones that better simulate the controller-holding console game experience, but the major issue with them is that they require owners to carry one more thing around with them, or increase the size of their phone with a bulky case. Genx Cardtroller is a controller the size of a credit card that gamers can use to play on their phones without carrying around extra weight. When the power switch is slid into the on position, retractable shoulder buttons emerge from the top of the Genx, providing a place for fingers to rest and more ways to enjoy the action.

Genx also has internal memory inside, which the phone will treat as an external storage device for games, emulators, or save files. The Genx charges through micro-USB and can run wirelessly for two hours on a single charge. Inventor Joseph Nathan Cohorst is asking backers to pitch in $30,000 of funding for Genx. Backers can press start on this product for $35 in January 2015.

One of the issues that the campaign video brings up is that not being able to feel the buttons is a big part of why touch screen controls fail for many gamers. At the same time, the compact design of Genx means that the surface appears either flat or near flat, not addressing this problem. It’s a neat little accessory, especially when it comes to size, but ask anyone who’s played with a tiny controller, and they’ll tell you all about the hand cramps.

 

Categories
Tech Accessories

Hitchhiker sticks an external hard drive somewhere where it won’t be seen

Having enough storage for all the necessary programs, files, and downloads that a project may entail can be difficult with a laptop. External hard drives fix the problem, but are bulky and take up space. Now, Hitchhiker is putting a stop to both of these problems. At its core, Hitchhiker is a 1TB USB external hard drive that can be connected to any computer or even an Xbox One console. In order to keep it handy and save space, the Hitchhiker has a housing that can be attached to the device itself, and then it snaps into place with a locking plate.

Just the housing is also available for those that don’t need to replace their existing external hard drive, making it easier to take their files with them wherever they go. The inventors at Deenosaur are out to raise $78,000 to make Hitchhiker a viable commercial product. Getting the Hitchhiker with the hard drive will cost backers $79, and will be out in April 2015. Most devices come with enough storage now to circumvent the need for external drives, and if drives are needed, they’re often so small as to stay out of the way. But if buyers are particularly anal about their desk space, Hitchhiker could be one way to fix that problem for good.

Categories
Tablet Accessories Virtual Reality

AirVR makes the iPhone a window into the world of virtual reality

VR headsets are a hot item that everyone wants to get their hands on, but why not beat the rush and convert some existing technology into a fully functional VR headset instead?

That’s the philosophy behind AirVR, an iPad Mini or iPhone 6+ mount that straps onto the head to create a VR headset with visuals on a high-quality retina display. By taking a tablet or phone consumers may already have, the cost of adopting a VR device is cut significantly, requiring consumers only to purchase the mount. With foam padding and adjustable nylon straps, the AirVR is easy to adjust to any head size or shape. The front-facing camera also allows the iOS device to pick up on augmented reality markers and create a 3-D environment that users can move and look around it with complete motion tracking.

Utilizing only a portion of the screen for the virtual experience, AirVR does not simply waste the additional space on the iPad Mini screen. Instead, a dynamic touch interface is put at the bottom allowing users to comfortably navigate through content without having to remove the device, change the content, and then put the headset back on. Toronto, Ontario designer Metatecture is raising $20,000 CAD (~$18,000 USD) to get AirVR out in time for the holidays. Existing iPad Mini and iPhone 6+ owners only need to pay $49 CAD (~$43 USD) to have their own VR headset in February 2015.

Devices like the AirVR and Samsung Galaxy Gear VR are looking to leapfrog the delayed VR headset manufacturers that built all the excitement up, but have yet to release a product. If it fits consumers’ needs and existing hardware, they’ll take the easier, cheaper route. The market is primed for a product like AirVR to be wildly successful.

Categories
Connected Objects

SCROL LED display lets you text your tiny version of Times Square

Dynamic signage is a great way to provide up to date information to customers or employees on a variety of deals, offers, wait time, or safety information, but programming new messages in takes time and an understanding of how the device works. SCROL LED is a standard LED scrolling text display box that can be mounted anywhere, with the key differences of a SIM card and an antenna to receive text messages. These messages are then displayed on the device, scrolling as they are received. Additionally, other controls for the device are tweaked the same way, from setting default messages, deleting all the backed up messages on the card, or adjusting the brightness of the LEDs.

This allows for quick and easy updating of a sign even from a distance to communicate messages to an entire group of people or publicly as they are received. SCROL LED needs £10,000 (~$15,600) to become available, and buyers can grab one for £140 (~$220). At this time, orders in the United States will not be fulfilled due to a lack of FCC certification. The amount of people still needing a scrolling LED sign of this size is low, just like the need for this device.

Categories
Aquatics Health and Wellness

Oar Inspired teaches you the right way to row, row, row your boat

As activity trackers have given way to digital workout coaches, each sport has begun to receive tools that are priceless in improving one’s technique and form. To handle this task for the sport of rowing, there’s now Oar Inspired. Oar Inspired is essentially a fully-featured suite of devices designed to measure every aspect of the row and then report it through the on-boat computer that is easy to attach and is protected from the environment on the open water.

The RowCom display of the computer displays this data in real-time, meaning that not only can things be improved for next time, but adjustments can be made in the middle of the race to right the ship. Also, this data is fully customizable, so that whatever metrics are most important can be displayed where they are easy to read and interpret. Australian inventor Des Jacobsen is asking for $70,000 AUD (~$60,000 USD) to release Oar Inspired. The complete Oar Inspired set starts at $990 AUD (~$850 USD), though if single components are desired instead, those are available at lower tiers, shipping in February 2015. It may be a niche, but ultimately all fitness coaching devices fall under this umbrella. Passionate rowers will love Oar Inspired.

Categories
Displays Tech Accessories

DuoScreen is your laptop’s better half for productivity and gaming

Laptops are great for getting things done on the go, making productivity a constant no matter where the work is located. But when the workstation of choice is set up with an expansive, dual-monitor display, moving to the single screen of a laptop can be prohibitive, frustrating, and a hindrance to productivity.

DuoScreen is a solution to bring a second screen to laptops in a way that’s never been done before. By attaching a housing to the bottom of the laptop, DuoScreen raises and tilts the laptop forward slightly for ergonomic purposes, and has ventilation to keep notebooks from overheating, but that’s just the extra features. The DuoScreen holds a second screen, powered and connected through a solitary USB port, that slides out, flips up, and is supported by the laptop’s weight so that it doesn’t take up any extra desk space.

The 15.6” LED screen supports resolution up to 1920×1080, meaning there’s no sacrifice when it comes to display quality. Additionally, the screen can be rotated up to 180 degrees, perfect for an impromptu presentation or collaboration session. The DuoScreen holds laptops in place on its base with elastic straps, meaning there’s no risk of damaging the case of the laptop, and that it can fit many different models and sizes. The inventors at Nomadz have their target goal of $100,000 to pay for production. Anyone looking to add a screen to their laptop can grab a DuoScreen for $239 in May 2015.

The crowdfunding product space is proving that adding a second screen to laptops is an issue that needs addressing as soon as possible. While DuoScreen may have just a little too much size and thickness to make it practically portable, the amount of extra little touches could make it a great option for certain laptop power users, much like the similar Packed Pixels.

Categories
Connected Objects Sensors/IoT

VERVE2 lets you assemble your own Internet of Things like LEGOs

The Premise. The Internet of Things is garnering a lot of attention and excitement, and rightfully so. Just as getting people connected online revolutionized communication and information, connecting objects online stands poised to change what people expect from their appliances and tools.

The Product. VERVE2 is an easily programmable, highly customizable family of sensors that allow users to give any item a degree of online functionality. Detecting touch, light, heat, or motion, VERVE2 can be clipped or affixed to anything and then programmed to interact with computer programs or Web sites to create new and exciting functions.

The Pitch. The very first words for the VERVE2 campaign call it the “LEGOs of the future,” and this sort of do-anything approach is what the video and campaign material strive to portray. In the video, viewers see everything from a DIY burglar alarm to a greeting card turned into an automatic tweet whenever someone is thinking of a loved one and touches the card. VERVE2 creators inXus interactive are hoping to raise $10,000 for manufacturing and assembly. At $50,000 dollars, backers who get at least 7 sensors will also receive a sheet of Velostat to make touch panels of any shape or size.

The Perks. Getting started with VERVE2 only takes a pledge of $45 to get one connecter cable, the hub, a light sensor, and a flash drive with the required software. A pack with seven sensors goes for $89, with a light sensor, button, touch sensor, turn sensor, motion sensor, DIY sensor, and magnetic sensor. Finally, the $160 tier level includes 2 of each of the aforementioned sensors, plus temperature sensors, force sensors, and loudness sensors. All perks are expected to deliver out in November.

The Potential. Just by how easy the VERVE2 system is to set up and tweak to accomplish different tasks, it’s an incredible way to bring the power of connecting objects to the Internet to even the most average end user. That being said, from a practicality standpoint, the system may not be as flexible as promised, offering a lot of options to use, but not a lot of outstanding features that would be intuitive to many. The creative and curious will derive a great sense of joy from getting their hands (and fingers, and voices, and lights) on VERVE2, but for the person who just wants something they can plug in and use to make their lives easier, VERVE2 might not be the right buy. This sort of real-world physical programming has been put out before with products like Ninja Blocks, but being able to turn any object into computer input is what makes VERVE2 an exciting alternative.

Categories
Arts

POV Disk brings the animated GIF to the actual desktop

Animation got its start with the early zoetropes that used spinning images, light, and a viewing slot to create an effect that mystified and delighted viewers. The 21st century version of the zoetrope is here in the POV Disk. A persistence of vision display, POV Disk can create colorful and animated images by using a flashing and spinning column of LEDs right on a desktop. With applications like a wall clock or just a way to share a personal message, POV Disk is a unique and eye-catching method of displaying an image in motion.

The effect of persistence of vision imaging is not unlike light-capture photography, but it can be displayed and viewed in person, in real time. London inventor Sonia Khokhar, the creator of the POV Disk, has a goal in mind of £8,000 (~$12,500) to order components and cover packaging and shipping. Interested backers can pick one up in November 2014 for £60 (~$93). The POV Disk would have great applications in advertising, but its size is prohibitive to that kind of function. As such, it would be hard to sell this as anything other than a desk toy.

Categories
Television

4se lets you watch, stream four TV shows at once

Readers old enough to remember the advent of picture-in-picture windows on TV will recall that the commercials were always framed the same way. A popular drama or movie was displayed up on the big screen, while the die-hard sports fan was relegated to the tiny picture at the bottom.

Not being able to watch sports is only slightly worse than not being able to watch enough sports, something rectified by 4SeTV. 4SeTV is a set-top box that connects to the TV through the HDTV antenna, as well as an ethernet cable. Once the device is powered on, the box allows the TV to display four equally-sized windows of different programming, whether it’s multiple games on Sundays, or just enough programs to make everyone in the room happy. Using the 4SeTV app, users can decide which program broadcasts audio, change channels in each of the windows, or zoom in to catch a critical moment as it develops.

Additionally, 4SeTV is great for families with diverse viewing habits because it allows HD content to be streamed wirelessly through the house from the main television. This way, while the game’s on, the kids can watch cartoons on the computer, and non-sports fans can catch a movie or show using a tablet. 4SeTV is asking backers to provide $50,000 of funding to bring the device to mass production. The 4SeTV is going out in November 2014 to those that pledge $99.

If it were maybe a decade earlier, this device would be a must-have for sports fans with families to share TV space with or interest in multiple teams and sports. With broadcasters providing split-screen content already and everyone having enough mobile devices to keep track of their viewing needs, the market for this is relatively small, not to mention the curious inclusion to only have an HDTV antenna port.