Category: Home

Categories
Health and Wellness Home

Squair ditches filters for cold plasma to help you breathe easier

Polluted air affects everyone in many different harmful ways. From asthma to allergies, everyone feels the detrimental results of dirty air, but no one quite knows how to address it.

SQUAIR takes the mind off of bad breathing as an air filtration system. Using cold plasma, this devices catches harmful pollutants in the air and kills bacteria. This product is also discreet, resembling a hard drive. It gives users relief for up to 30sqm around them and can be used anywhere from the office, home or even hotel rooms when traveling.

SQUAIR joins scores of other air purifiers, but misses the mark on a couple of key conveniences. Products like the Table Air not only filter toxins, mold and dust, but also communicate with smartphones to deliver data about what’s in the air. Other air purifiers run on battery, making them portable to use during walks to protect oneself in bad areas, such as a city. While SQUAIR’s methods to clean pollutants may be cutting edge, the product itself could use some updating to make it more user-friendly. For their very own, backers must donate €165 (~$203) for delivery in April 2015, if SQUAIR is able to reach its €79,000 (~$97,000) goal on Kickstarter.

Categories
Home Pets

Feed-n-See Holder invites hummingbirds to stay, keeps ants away

Watching hummingbirds enjoy nectar from a feeder can be a great way to wake up if one is an early riser, or a wonderful way to relax as the day comes to a close. Though they usually prefer natural nectar, they can be drawn by a feeder such as the Feed-n-See Holder. Moats around the nectar keep ants away, and a plant below the feeder can catch any nectar that falls and also get the benefit of bird droppings to keep the plant fertilized. The feeder is made of UV resistant nylon plastic and can be attached to a post or tree using zip ties, or screwed to a house outside of the kitchen window for easy refilling and enjoyment of watching the hummingbirds come to visit.

Though this product offers the option of a single or double feeder, hummingbirds are usually territorial. So if the idea is to attract more than one bird, it’s best to have the feeders out of sight of one another. This campaign seeks to raise $125,000 by December 19, 2014. For $25, backers get one product with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Home

Toilit lights up the tank for less dripping in the dark

There is a fine line between information and what one could say is TMI. Nevertheless, those who find toilet humor and really bad puns to be funny, especially when blended, should probably avoid the video associated with this campaign and go get a life. As for everyone else who just wants to know how to make it to the bathroom at night without getting injured or waking everyone up, Toilit is a motion-sensing light specifically designed for those night trips to the bathroom. It hangs on the tank of the toilet and lights the way with soft light (as opposed to an overbearing overhead light) as the bathroom is entered.

For those who are too incapacitated to get everything into the toilet, this light may not be solution. Other nightlight type campaigns that backers might want to check out include Illumibowl and LureViewer. This product seeks to raise $35,000 by December 12, 2014. Early bird backers can get one product for $15, with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Home Relaxation

Octaloofah turns home showers into spa time with massage and music

If he thinks she spends too much time soaking in the tub already, wait until she gets her hands on this emerging gadget. Octaloofah has the potential to take a simple shower and turn it into a spa –sort of. The octagon-shaped device is a hands-free, multifunctional unit that not only uses exfoliation to help promote healthier skin, but can also provide a pseudo back massage while playing one’s favorite tunes. Octaloofah has a wireless sound system that connects to any Bluetooth device. Talk about added ambiance! The product attaches to the shower wall via suction cups, and the exfoliating half-spheres are easily replaceable when necessary.

There isn’t presently any clear indication of how much these will cost to replace, which may affect backers’ opinion of this product. For the perfect item to round out this home spa mindset, backers might want to check out the Wave Hooks wine and cheese holder for bath-time enthusiasts. This campaign seeks to raise $65,000 by January 31, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $39 with an expected delivery of August 15.

Categories
Home Pets

Ecofarm puts your lazy fish to work creating aquaponic herbs

Fresh herbs make for some of the tastiest home cooked meals. There’s just a more robust flavor that comes from something that is home grown rather than something store bought.

While most herb gardens can seem like a lot of work, Ecofarm is introducing one that requires minimal work, as long as one doesn’t mind that fish excrement is the fertilizer keeping the herbs healthy and growing. Perhaps the concept isn’t much different than fertilizing a vegetable garden with manure. Just as the cows have to be fed, this herb garden requires the user to keep the fish fed. The tank is self-cleaning because the plants work as a natural filter and clean the water.

Besides herbs, Ecofarm is also able to grow mini tomatoes, peppers, and strawberries. The dimensions of the tank are not stated, but it is touted as being “minimalist” in its size; something that could easily fit on a kitchen counter. It doesn’t clearly indicate how many fish are ideal in the tank, and whether or not more fish are required for herb gardens with small veggies or not.

This product certainly has appeal to those who are concerned about GMO foods, and also those who see cooking as a hobby and enjoy gardening. While a great concept, Ecofarm joins scores of other similar mini eco-system fish tanks like the Avo. This campaign seeks to raise €30,000 (~$37,200) by December 25, 2014. For €60 (~$75), backers get one product with an expected delivery of February 2015.

Categories
Home Smart Home

Kuna embeds a smart camera in a porch light to scare off intruders

Home security is a big concern for people worldwide. The old security systems of the 80’s and 90’s rely on off-site, outsourced professionals to contact the authorities and hope for a response in time. This technology needs an upgrade.

Kuna is a combination outdoor light and smart camera that allows owners to get notifications when someone approaches their door and, using the Kuna app, see them, talk with them, or sound an alarm. Disguised as a stylish exterior home light in one of three available styles, Kuna has all the function and convenience of an app-controlled outdoor light.

The fact that Kuna also includes a fully functional security camera with all the bells and whistles is a welcome addition. Operating on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0, Kuna is easy to install and easy to use. Kuna is raising $50,000 to complete testing and ship out units. A donation of $149 is all it takes to provide peace of mind with a Kuna.

This isn’t the first smart camera and intercom system that’s been released on the market, but it may be the most multi-functional and most discreet; great for making a home look welcoming poorer for deterring unwanted guests outright.

Categories
Home

Wheelie Bin Cap keeps your trash bin lids from blowin’ in the wind

High wind days can mean that the trash in the bin ends up scattered all over and creates a big mess to clean up. Then there are those hungry night critters seeking a post midnight snack. Since keeping the lid on the bin can be a challenge, Wheelie Bin has a potential solution. The bin cap is designed with the intention of locking the lid in place so that it stays put during high wind storms and nighttime critter visits, and is also fire retardant. Companies can have the lid personalized if they really want their name on a trash bin cap.

There isn’t presently a great deal of detail available on how the cap attaches or detaches, so it would be nice if the campaign went a bit more into depth about this. Such information would give backers more to consider when deciding whether or not to back the Wheelie Bin. This campaign seeks to raise €10,000 (~$12,500 USD) by November 26, 2014. For €100 (~$124 USD), backers get one product with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Home

MagRack Table lets you sweep reading material, crumbs into a vertical slot

Tabletop clutter from magazines and other literature can make a living space feel confined and congested. But information lovers often have trouble letting go of those coveted stacks of golden knowledge. MagRack offers a way to sweep information, and perhaps also any crumbs left on the table from snacking, into a v-shaped storage area. The blended magazine rack-table is 75 centimeters wide and either 105 centimeters long or 160 centimeters long. Table top surfaces are either coated with high quality linoleum, or with a polished acrylic layer. It does have to be put together, but it appears that assembly is fairly simple, and a mitter joint is used to connect the pieces. The tables are made of layers of plywood, which can be seen from the side only. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 CAD (~$13,200 USD) by December 11, 2015. Early bird backers get one product for $356 CAD (~$316 USD) with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Home

Vegetation goes vertical with The Herb Grower

Cooking with fresh herbs is one of the best ways to make flavorful dishes. And being able to have an herb garden right at one’s fingertips while those delectable delights are being made is not only convenient, but adds some nice greenery to the kitchen scenery. The Herb Grower is a vertical system of removable pots and gravity irrigation that provides plants with a built in watering system to help keep them healthy. The runoff pan keeps walls and floors dry, and since it’s a modular system, the garden can be pretty much any size desired and rearranged at will. It appears that it comes with potting soil, so plants can be easily started from seed or purchased and repotted. Though it is touted as having minimal installation, the ideal tools to use to put it in place are not noted. Nevertheless, it does seem like a great idea, especially for those who enjoy cooking. Backers can enjoy plants in their home with the similar Garden@Home as well. This campaign seeks to raise $55,000 CAD (~$48,500 USD) by December 8, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $55 CAD (~$48 USD) with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Home

Time Out locks up temptations for a while

There’s something to be said for removing the thing that causes a person to participate in unwanted behavior – as long as positive habits or alternatives are being developed to replace the bad. Time Out is designed with the intent of giving parents the upper hand in modifying the behavior of their kids. The lock has a digital timer that can be set for up to 24 hours. Keep in mind, though, that it usually takes about 10 constant days or more to replace a bad habit with a good one. So if the kids’ video games are going to be taken away so that they play them less, it’s typically a good idea to make some alternative fun activity available. Locking up food for weight loss or cigarettes or alcohol to reduce consumption only works when the root cause of binging is addressed. Nevertheless, this campaign seeks to raise $24,000 by December 16, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $29, with an expected delivery of April 2015.