Category: Connected Objects

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Cell Phone Accessories Connected Objects Watches and Jewelry

NFC-enabled Memento Pearl makes a world of messages your oyster

Technology often elicits negative feelings bolstered by claims of anti-social and insensitive behaviors. But with technology being as ubiquitous as it is, it doesn’t necessarily mean sentimentality is out the window — contrary to what many may believe.

The Memento Pearl by Galatea is a perfect example of the sort of technology aiming to connect families, friends, and couples rather than serve as a barrier between them. The hand-crafted white freshwater or black Tahitian pearl pendants, rings, or earrings come set in a variety of materials like sterling silver or 14K gold, and feature an NFC chip within. Thoughtful types can record messages using a companion app that will playback from the pearl itself when tapped to any NFC-enabled device. Sterling silver options range from $130-$150 while 14K gold and other, more luxurious options are available at similarly luxurious price points. The campaign is looking for $50,000 and is expecting to ship the product in April of 2015

For now the system will only work with Android phones since Apple’s NFC is locked down, but offers a compelling and sincere take on modern connection. Most connected jewelry has a focus on fitness, but the Memento Pearl does something a little different and should get some attention for it.

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Accents Connected Objects

Coolest Clock immodestly takes its time, projects it on wall below

Having a projector in the home is a big deal. An adjustable screen capable of displaying all kinds of content in sharp, high quality fidelity is something anyone would be happy to have, mainly because of the versatility it affords. It turns out that magical things happen when projectors are combined with other things, too.

The aptly named Coolest Clock mixes a projector with a clock to offer people a little bit of everything when they look up at the wall. The name is a bit misleading, though — it isn’t only a clock, and for all intents and purposes it’s everything but a clock. Think of it as the home screen on a smart device, only bigger and littered with widgets for everything from  social media notifications and live weather to breaking news and quotes. The Wi-Fi enabled module can hang anywhere on the wall, and both its projection size and clock skins are completely adjustable when used with an iOS app or web interface. The Coolest Clock is going for $179 now, shooting up to $199 later. The product is scheduled to ship in December 2015 if the $20,000 campaign goal is achieved.

The Coolest Clock is very multi-faceted and unsurprisingly boasts some other, useful task-oriented features like to-do lists and scheduled reminders. Unfortunately, the product lacks sound notifications unless a stretch goal is reached, a feature that should be in the main build anyway. The SmarTock is a similar product, but the Coolest Clock trumps it on sheer variety of options, making it an interesting purchase for those wanting something unique in their home.

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Connected Objects Wallets

Where’s Wallet calls home to your smartphone to avoid being misplaced

Forgetting or misplacing a wallet can be a major inconvenience — especially if it’s left in a public place and has a lot of cash and credit cards in it.

Where’s Wallet is a twist on the increasingly popular Bluetooth item finder that solves that dilemma. It’s a wallet that features a hidden sensor inside. Users just have to download a free Android or iOS app, set a notification range, and their smartphone/wallet will beep to alert them the moment they step beyond that preset distance. Its maker is fielding the product in three versions: a $49 slip model, a $69 bi-fold version and a $99 clutch version. Each will ship in August. Its maker is trying to raise $30,000 through Kickstarter by March 22.

Where’s Wallet is a clever entry in the Bluetooth tracking device category. Applying the technology to a wallet is a no-brainer, and should be especially appealing to consumers with a tendency to misplace their valuables. However, the specific application has a drawback in that some consumers will prefer a small tracking device like TrackR Bravo that can be attached to the object of their choice. For example, folks who are more likely to misplace their keys than their wallet.

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Automotive Connected Objects Imaging Safety

CarVi driving assistant lets you keep more eyes on the road

editors-choiceMany folks have been tempted by the high-tech safety features in newer cars, but wish there was a way to get them into their existing vehicles economically.

That is the goal of the makers of CarVi, a small, circular black driving assistance device that attaches easily via a bracket onto the windshield of just about any car. The device adds an extra set of eyes, monitoring a driver’s position in a lane and the location of the car in front of it. CarVi warns drivers if they are too close to the car in front, and if it senses any potential trouble will issue audible and visual warnings.

The device comes equipped with a camera capturing 720p HD video that CarVi analyzes in real time. Owners can set it to record 40-second to one-minute video onto a memory card whenever certain events occur, such as tailgating incidents. The user can then transfer that video to an Android or iOS smartphone for viewing later. Alternatively, CarVi can function as a full-time recorder if the driver desires. CarVi can also provide suggestions via the accompanying app on how to improve driver skills after the car is turned off. CarVi will cost $299 when it ships in August. Its makers are hoping to raise $100,000 by March 20.

The device holds some promise, especially for elderly drivers and the parents of new drivers. But similar products, such as Truvolo and Zubie, have already offered the same kind of functionality with varying degrees of success. While the warnings could indeed help drivers avoid accidents, it remains to be seen if many drivers will actually be willing to hear tips about how to improve their driving once they turn the engine off.

 

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Connected Objects Kids/Babies

Evoz monitors babies, captures special moments

There are many devices on the market that monitor babies, but few of them offer multiple functions, such as the ability to play lullabies, serve as a nightlight, and capture photos of special moments.

Evoz is a smart baby monitor that works in conjunction with an app for mobile devices, and alerts parents if there are any issues with the baby. Initial support is for Android and iOS devices, but its maker is working on compatibility with other unspecified mobile platforms. It features a wide-angle, Wi-Fi-enabled, 720p HD video camera, so parents can see everything that is going on in the baby’s room from the screen of their mobile device. The monitor has eight infrared LEDs partially hidden behind the black circle around the lens, which enables a 12 to 16-foot range for night vision video.

The device’s maker developed data mining algorithms to look for patterns in the baby data that experts have indicated are meaningful. That information is stored and can be accessed by parents at any time. As an example, if a baby is older than six months, and daytime naps are consistently less than 45 minutes, parent are presented with a step-by-step guide to teach them how to increase nap times. The device’s makers worked with therapist Kim West, the “Sleep Lady,” for more than two years to understand data trends and provide parents with information and expertise.

Evoz holds a lot of promise, offering a collection of features that competing devices on the market just can’t match. In addition to access to videos in which West offers advice, parents who use Evoz will get access to sleep and parenting experts that West trained and certified.

Evoz will ship in April of this year to those who back $169. Its maker set a goal of raising $25,000 by March 17.

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Connected Objects

Smartstone offers non-verbal communication without all the noise

The world of the smart device is one full of proprietary jargon and gestures that need to be learned before its power can really be unlocked. For a lot of people, this just isn’t the case. All of the lingo and maneuvers that need to be learned serve as a road block, and as a result, what should connect people just puts up more barriers.

The need for a more humanized way of using technology to communicate inspired the creation of the Smartstone, a compact Bluetooth-enabled device that facilitates a more complex yet inviting form of non-verbal communication. A Smartstone’s capacitive touch surface and sensors work in tandem to detect and process multi-touch, swipe, motion, and tapping gestures so that users can quickly and easily send messages to each other. Instead of fumbling for a smartphone to shoot off a message—or for those situations where a smartphone just isn’t necessary—a simple swipe or tap can send off a message that’s received as vibration and lights on another Smartstone. Caregivers, parents, and friends will all find great use from the platform, and it seems like a novel way to incorporate technology into the many lives already filled with it.

What’s interesting is the capability of users to use the companion app to create more gestures and messages alongside the 12 standard Hapticons, or messages composed purely of light, sound, and vibration. A single Smartstone is awarded for $79, while a two-pack can be had for $149. Accessories for the device are also available. The $50,000 campaign is looking to ship the product in December of this year, and is seeking to be funded by March 20.

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Connected Objects Music

BUHUEL Soundglasses use your bones to keep you aware of what’s around

At the height of the iPod’s popularity, a common news item was a warning about how unsafe it was to wander around the big wide world with headphones stuffed into your ears. A lot of it was fear mongering, but to a certain extent, the degree to which someone’s awareness is impaired while concentrating on their music is a very real thing.

Instead of hijacking ear canals, the Bluetooth-enabled BUHUEL SG05 Soundglasses use the sensitive bones in the ear to transmit music or voice so that the user can be free to hear what needs to be heard. As a result, the Soundglasses thrive in high noise situations which require earplugs or similar safeguards or in situations where hearing loss is a problem. In addition to the bone conduction technology, the Soundglasses also incorporate a bi-directional, noise-canceling microphone to facilitate clear phone calls.

Interchangeable lenses offer both aesthetic and actual versatility, offering different colors and the ability to use prescription lenses. A wide variety of mostly active types will find use in the Soundglasses, even if it boasts only three hours of talk/listening time.

The $165 glasses are a bit more practical than something like the Narwhal, and as such, its $80,000 goal has already been achieved—more than twice over. Backers can expect theirs in June of this year.

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Connected Objects Food and Beverage

Tlinkle connected tumblers keep couples connected

Technology has the bad reputation of being anti-social, and it isn’t hard to see why. With the way the devices available on the marketplace dominate the attention span, most agree on the negative effects it can have on relationships and behavior. In response the growing trend of humanizing technology is springing up, offering products that aim to connect, rather than disconnect, those who choose to use it.

The Tlinkle is a prime example of this sort of technology. The product is a Bluetooth-enabled tumbler that lights up when another designated Tlinkle is used. By leveraging a touch sensor below the tumbler’s frame, the embedded LED lights up with the corresponding color of who’s drinking from it. The Tlinkle is ideal for couples, but also shines between friends or within a family, all in the name of letting loved ones know you’re thinking about them.

Although the product is well intentioned, the amount of sips taken throughout the day will quickly make each moment of lit-up refreshment lose their importance. The companion app aims to alleviate that with community features, but even those seem half baked. Something like Smartstones is a bit more ambitious, and because of that ultimately more exciting.

A Tlinkle is awarded for $70, and is expected to ship in October of this year, given a successful $40,000 campaign.

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Connected Objects Home

Listnr assists in controlling the Internet of Things with claps, stomps, and snaps

One of the easiest ways to interact with the environment is through sound, and voice-controlled technology is at the forefront of this potential. For instance, Amazon’s Echo is trying to make one’s own voice the cornerstone of the cloud-connected experience. But sometimes, things just don’t have to be that complex.

Billed as a user’s listening assistant, the Listnr pays more attention to sound than to voice. The device’s iOS app allows users to attach connected objects in the homes (like a Philips Hue lightbulb) to actions like clapping, stomping, or snapping fingers. As a result, hands full of groceries or a comfortable position in bed won’t be obstacles to devices in and around the home. In addition, the Wi-Fi-enabled device can send notifications to iPhones, and even identify the emotional tenor of the voices in the room.

Overall, the product can be useful but only with a wide variety of actions. Without that, it just isn’t as compelling. Early birds can grab a Listnr device for $99, due to ship in August of this year. The campaign is looking for $50,000 in funding by March 6.

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Connected Objects Games

Juggglow adds glowing balls to the mix, makes juggling easy for beginners

Juggling is a time-honored art; a feat of balance and grace featured at many circuses. Clowns do it while teetering atop a unicycle or walking a tightrope. Even as a simple talent, juggling always manages to dazzle.

Juggglow brings juggling into the 21st century with LEDs and Bluetooth, which allows one to control the balls from the accompanying smartphone app. They can easily choose not only the color of the balls, but also the effects that they display, such as a rainbow spectacle for up to seven balls.

In addition to aesthetics, the app lets users track their juggling accomplishments. They can watch their progress over time, and engage in different challenges that the app offers. It also lets them compare their accomplishments to other Juggglow users. With tips and games, it makes juggling not only attainable, but fun.

As a luxury item, Juggglow brings all of the different dimensions of juggling to the masses. Its tutorials, challenges, and effects make it a great toy for beginners and experienced jugglers alike. Those wanting to dazzle their friends or an audience should look into purchasing their own. A donation of €89 (~$101) is rewarded with a Juggglow, which is estimated to be delivered in July of this  year. Juggglow is looking to raise €10,000 (~$11,300) in funding with the help of Indiegogo.