Category: Connected Objects

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Connected Objects Writing

Cronzy is a pen that lets you write with a rainbow

Several years ago, at least some of us thought it was a major achievement when manufacturers introduced pens that could write in more than just blue or black ink. They were a dream come true especially for kids, artists and teachers who no longer needed to carry around separate pens for writing and correcting mistakes on their students’ tests, term papers and homework.

Cronzy is a pen that goes many steps further than most multi-color pens because it can write in pretty much any color that any user would want and can even match scanned colors also. The pen is capable of writing in more than 16 million colors, its makers say. Its main mechanism is based on solenoid valves like those used in various other devices and the pen features a special algorithm for mixing colors.

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Connected Objects Cooking

The Toasteroid heralds the era of connected heated bread

By now, pretty much everything in the home can be found on the market in both non-connected and connected versions — save for the toaster. This humble little kitchen companion is a mainstay in many a morning routine and is now undergoing a connected transformation into the Toasteroid.

The Toasteroid is exactly that: a smart toaster. It uses microfilament heating to toast intricate designs and messages onto bread that can be customized through a companion iOS/Android app. With it, it can also toast everything from the weather for the day to emojis for a little fun, or simply control the brownness of the toast with more specificity.

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Connected Objects Music

The Kombos modular MIDI keyboard puts a full keyboard in your backpack

Aspiring producers, DJs, and musicians are between a rock and a hard place: either buy a full-size keyboard and have logistical issues, or get a smaller one and be stuck with not enough keys. In 2016, the team behind the Kombos modular keyboard thought it was about time to do something about it.

With its wireless, modular design, the Kombos USB-MIDI/MIDI keyboard can either be set to a 25-, 37-, 49-, or 61-key configurations depending on what’s needed at the moment. And since its pin system lets it disconnect easily, it can fit into a book bag, letting maestros jam out pretty much anywhere. It’s Bluetooth enabled, as well, so it connects to pretty much any device and functions with everything from the lowest cost music creation app to the very high-end stuff like Ableton Live and Logic.

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Connected Objects Imaging

The FRAME connected home camera keeps your life in focus

The notion of connected home cameras usually focus on the security benefits they provide. For the team at LifeSmart, its FRAME lifestyle camera is looking to buck that trend by making it the core of your connected home experience.

With FRAME, LifeSmart looked to design something that looked good but fit into a user’s life as more than a security camera. To do this, it developed a software platform that can be expanded on later on. So, while FRAME right now features night vision and motion detection capabilities, it will feature many more as time goes on using the same set of 1080p lens, mic, and speaker hardware.

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Connected Objects Music

DJs and recording artists can finally let loose thanks to the ETHER Transmitter

Ask any DJ, and the biggest hassle they’ll complain about is having to be tethered to their equipment when mixing, something that can’t necessarily be addressed since most Bluetooth adapters on the market aren’t capable f processing audio as quickly as needed. Being wired can lead to embarrassing situations where headphones can become disconnected, and trying to disconnect means wearing cumbersome packs to cut down latency.

ETHER Electronics thought it was time for something new. Its ETHER Transmitter can connect to any pro audio device and be paired with Bluetooth earbuds, headphones, or speakers for the lowest latency audio on the market. It brings down latency to acceptable levels ranging between 10.5ms to 40ms max, making the wireless DJing dream a reality with 15 meters of roaming territory.

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Automotive Connected Objects

YAB Bluetooth dongle helps find your car in a crowded parking lot

Two of the most frustrating parts of parking a car are not getting back to it before a parking meter has expired and not being able to remember where the vehicle was parked. The latter is especially the case when it’s a huge, crowded parking lot.

YAB is a small USB dongle that reminds users when their parking meters are going to expire and keeps track of where they’ve parked their cars. It automatically saves the car’s location on the user’s Android smartphone or iPhone when the engine shuts off. YAB communicates using Bluetooth Low Energy. YAB ships in December. Future pricing isn’t provided. But Indiegogo backers can order one for a $29 pledge. Its makers reached their targeted funding of $11,916 July 30.

This is a device that may appeal to any consumer who has ever received a parking ticket because they didn’t get back to their car before the meter expired, or who has been unable to find their car in a crowded lot late at night after seeing a movie or concert.

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Connected Objects Furniture

The Gaze desk sets its sights beyond other standing desks

The unnatural requirement for most office-bound workers to sit for eight hours a day is not only an exercise in boredom but unhealthy to boot. Not being active enough throughout the day because reports need to be typed up and emails need to be replied to is harmful to one’s health in a myriad of ways, something that has prompted many inventors and small companies to remedy the situation.

From wearables to standing desk, every team has a solution. The GAZELAB team’s? Its Gaze Desk, a connected standing desk with a few tricks up its sleeve. For one, both of its sections — front and back — can be independently controlled so that the monitor and keyboard are at different heights, something that helps avoid awkward and sometimes painful positioning of the elbow and neck. This all happens automatically after inputting height and weight into the Gaze Desk’s companion app so that it calculates the optimal height for itself.

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Connected Objects Imaging Television

Hello camera makes it easy to say chat with people on your TV

Videoconferencing is a pretty good way to communicate with fellow workers and business clients without having to be in the same room together. But existing solutions can be more complicated to use than the average person would like.

Hello is a voice-controlled videoconferencing camera that easily connects to a TV via HDMI. It offers wireless screen sharing and live broadcasting capabilities, as well as security surveillance with motion detection.

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Connected Objects Cycling

The Shoka connected bike bell gives the handlebar a handle on more

Cycling has never been easier nor more connected due to the plethora of gadgets attempting to be crowdfunded that help both lead and light the way. Still, there;s always room for more innovation, a challenge that continues to push small teams to create new, fun form factors like the Shoka Bell.

Like others, the Shoka Bell is a connected bike bell that helps cyclists find their way, light their path, alert others, and alert them to possible theft. Users can consult its companion app to find the safest routes from point A to point B, made safer by real-time updates from other Shoka Bell users. (It also lets users consult routes taken by friends, see anyone nearby, and upload pictures to Instagram, too.) And since it’s equipped with eight front-facing LEDs, the path to point B is made clear without blinding others in the process.

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Apparel Connected Objects

Save your swing with the IOFIT connected golf shoes

The pursuit of the perfect swing on the green is the goal of every budding golfer out there. Countless hours are spent chasing it, usually with an expensive coach nearby. But while the team behind the IOFIT can’t compete with the value a coach provides, it sure can help.

The company’s self-titled IOFIT connected golf shoes is its attempt. In creating lightweight, breathable golf shoes equipped with waterproof pressure sensors, users wearing them can track balance and weight shift while taking a swing. Bluetooth connectivity pushes this data to IOFIT’s iOS and Android companion app to provide real-time feedback, summarizing a user’s statistics and providing actionable insights to improve their game.

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