Category: Music

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Connected Objects Music

Wayit combines an app and gadget to let you listen to others’ jams

We’re in an age where sharing pretty much anything is a possibility, giving rise to an entirely new class of devices taking advantage of the technology that allows us to do so. With that in mind, Wayit is letting users share not only music playlists like other services but also exactly what they’re listening to at the moment. The iOS/Android app itself works by syncing to whatever you’re listening to at the moment, making it available to others wanting to jump into the groove with you.

Their Indiegogo campaign is not about the app, though. What Wayit is looking to do is raise $250,000 to complete the production of a companion wearable device that allows users to benefit from proximity to other Wayit users. GPS and proximity sensors would allow friends or strangers to be alerted to other users in their presence, let them listen in to their music, and even have those tunes be influenced by the emotional status of the person listening, possibly facilitating some spontaneous friendships in the process.

The device’s retail price will be $45, but for now backers can grab one for $30. And while that low price may convince some to ignore needing to buy a separate device solely for this feature, it ultimately won’t fly as an extra device on top of everything else we carry has to really be something special and Wayit isn’t that device. Backers can expect their Wayit in April of 2015.

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Music

Spoolee offers new spin on taming tangled earbud wires

It’s human against earbud wires in the ongoing epic battle of the tangled earbud wars. Many a determined human wrestles against a tight knots strategy only to wind up frustrated and have a lot of time wasted in the end. Then came Jedi Inventor Ray Walker.  His proposed plan? Spoolee.

The fabric finger wrap stores earbud wires in a way that tames those surly tangles and allows humans to effectively put those wild wires in their proper place. The way this weapon of cord control works is that the headphone jack gets inserted into a plastic holder on top of the Spoolee, the wires get wrapped around a finger at the ready, and the strap (which appears to be Velcro in nature) closes around it all to seal the fate of those now subdued earbuds. When it’s time to use the earbuds, just slip the product on a finger and pull for quick unraveling and fast access to those favorite tunes.

Seems like an interesting product worth looking into further. Backers might also like to check out MagClip, Mous Musicase, and D-Tangle. This campaign seeks to raise $8,000. Backers get one product for $9 with an expected delivery of February 2015.

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Cell Phone Accessories Connected Objects Music Tablet Accessories

CuBund bridges your smartphone to home receivers

Taking music from portable players and phones to cars and home audio systems usually requires specific hardware or lots of messy, tangled cables.

Cubund is a simple USB device that plugs into a car or home audio system’s USB port and receives high-quality Bluetooth audio streams from phones, laptops, or tablets. It allows for complete control using the remotes or onboard controls of the larger device. This allows for quick installation and even faster access to music when moving from public to private areas or from the home to car and vice versa.

Cubund can also handle incoming or outgoing calls from a phone and push them through to the car’s audio or home stereo, allowing for safer, hands-free communication even in the middle of blasting the volume on a favorite song. An additional USB port is added to Cubund to allow the charging of other devices. Cubund needs $20,000 for materials, assembly, and licenses, and can be purchased for delivery in February for $89.

The right kind of equipment or settings handles pretty much everything Cubund does already, but in lieu of buying new phones, new audio equipment, or even a new car, this is a simple, cheap way to bring older equipment into the present.

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Music

Guit Stix offers a medley of tools for your guitar

Perhaps there is little that is more disappointing for a budding musician with a CD than to realize the importance of having a way to sell that CD before going to all the expense of recording. That being said, Guit Stix was created by a musician who apparently has lots of CDs to give away if backers will donate to his campaign. And just what is this product? It functions as a stand, pick holder, and tuning holder. The product appears to be wooden and rather bulky for attaching to a guitar. It doesn’t appear to be particularly sturdy. But hey, this guy should probably be given some credit for attempting to come up with a creative way of getting his CDs marketed and promoted and making some extra money off of a unique product idea. As for the pros who are interested in some useful performance gear, consider checking out the A Little Thunder campaign to add some live bass boost to that upcoming concert. This campaign seeks to raise $5000 by November 27, 2014. For $100, backers get one product to compliment that CD, and an expected delivery of January 2015.

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Music

A Little Thunder sneaks an electric bass into your guitar

There’s nothing like being able to feel the bass in a song rattle your bones and the drums vibrate your entire being when in a concert setting. Not only does it stir up the audience, but an enthusiastic audience enjoys the benefits of the band responding to that, which energizes the band’s performance.

For those who are all about that bass, A Little Thunder boosts the bass on an electric guitar and seems to offer a euphoric buzz to musicians and audience members alike. It is easy to install because no modifications are necessary to the instrument. Guitarists just replace their existing humbucker with A Little Thunder for bass sounds that roll like a loaded freight train surging through a dark and stormy night. Not having to use a foot pedal will make for less clutter on stage and the auto detect frequency technology means that musicians can focus on the simplicity of enjoying their music. While guitars come in many different shapes and sizes, which can mean some compatibility issues, it appears that this has been taken into consideration given the fact that the engineering team is in the process of working on anticipated modifications.

This product seems like it’s really aimed at a niche market of heavy metal musicians, although rock and modern jazz players and their audiences may also appreciate this new level of bass boost. This campaign seeks to raise $35,000 by November 8, 2014, and if $60,000 is reached, backers who contribute at least $25 will have their names entered into a product giveaway drawing. For $199, backers get one product with an expected delivery of November 2014.

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Connected Objects Lighting Music

Playbulb is a connected light that plays music

Music is something everyone can enjoy privately, but all it takes is the right lighting to make it perfect for any party.

PLAYBULB color is another combination smart lightbulb and wireless speaker, offering multiple configurations of light shows, a spectrum of colors, and thumping sound to turn any room into a party room. Using Bluetooth 4.0, PLAYBULB color supports modern iOS and Android devices firmwares, and can also update its own firmware to allow for new features.

With a range of 30 feet, PLAYBULB color streams music from any smartphone or tablet and can change color on the fly or even every time a phone has been shaken, to create personal choreographed light shows. The PLAYBULB color can also be set up in any E26 or E27 lamp to stream ambient light and music for sleeping or as a wake-up alarm. Developer MIPOW only needs $10,000 to bring these bulbs to shelves, and backers can install one for $49 in January.

PLAYBULB color is neither the most innovative product on the market nor the most practical, as colored light often does very little illumination. That being said, it’s a great addition to any dorm room, bedroom, or any room where ambience is key.

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Music Technology

Prizm teaches speakers to be in tune with your mood and your friends

The world of streaming music over the past decade has exploded, with dozens of companies offering competing services that all want to be your one and only source for tunes. But with the increase in all this choice, the process of figuring out what to listen to can be an unnecessary obstacle to our enjoyment.

A Parisian company created Prizm to facilitate the process of personalized music curation. The slick product connects to existing speakers through Bluetooth, optical, or a 3.5mm wire, and provides an interface to not only discover new music, but instantly sync your favorites to your playlists with a simple press of a button.

Prizm is clever, too: its contextual approach adapts to not only who is in the room, but the kind of atmosphere as well. If there are just two people present, it combines their tastes and plays a song they both enjoy. If there are 15 people present, the acoustic sensor will recognize the ambient noise and play something more suitable. Compatibility with Spotify, Deezer, and Soundcloud will ensure all users are represented with more services on the way. Interested backers can grab their very own device $129. These ideas have pushed the company towards their $70,000 goal.

The product that most closely resembles Prizm is the Aether Cone, but upon comparison the differences are stark. While the $399 Cone boasts a decent speaker to directly play the music you want, it is more of a streaming radio device. On the other hand, Prizm contains many more features allowing users a lot of personalization– even a friend’s Prizm will recognize who you are and adapt to your taste! This level of personalization and interconnectedness is impressive, even if it may tread very closely to the many privacy concerns up in the air these days.

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Connected Objects Music

Core multiroom speaker system claims superior audio separation

Streaming audio wirelessly may seem like an old concept, but in terms of audio fidelity, convenience, and uniform functionality across multiple devices, the technology is only really starting to blossom. With options like Play-Fi and AllPlay beginning to come into their own, devices like the Sonos are starting to set the standard in home audio.

The Core is a similar multiroom audio solution that takes into consideration how technology has grown around it and how to interact with it rather than alongside. With Wi-fi functionality, NFC phone syncing with the tap of the device, and even Bluetooth gesture control, the Core is loaded with features. It can also handle answering phone calls in any room as easily as it handles streaming music, and can be used to charge devices using its 12-hour battery and USB port.

In terms of audio, Core delivers a uniform acoustic bubble in its space, giving depth and presence to the sounds without the use of multiple speakers in a room. Like Bose and other high-quality home audio products, Core sets out to do more with one speaker than many audio systems can do with two or more. Mass Fidelity, the company responsible for the creation of Core are looking to raise $48,000 to amp up their tooling department to be able to handle the extra load of creating the Core. The Core costs $389 to pick up, but for those who want a little more bass, they’ve added a wireless subwoofer to the package as well for $229. Products will begin shipping out in March.

What’s great about the Core is not only does it offer clear, sharp audio that fills any space, but it does so with a space-saving design and comes loaded with convenient features. Audiophiles will be quick to notice and praise the power of this speaker. In terms of an actual user experience, Core seems far, far more convenient than many of its competitors when it comes to syncing devices with and using the product.

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Connected Objects Music

mBox turns Bluetooth speakers into a Sonos competitor

With their ease of use and portability, Bluetooth speakers are all the rage these days. If you try to take the same utility into the home, you quickly find that isn’t the case. Before, wires all over your home tied your speakers down. Now, there are wireless multi-room systems that lock you into proprietary technology so that companies can squeeze as much money as they can out of you. The mBox is looking to liberate music lovers from this predicament by offering a Bluetooth music hub capable of receiving audio and sending it out to up to six separate Bluetooth speakers of any kind.

If you happen to have enough Bluetooth speakers in your house, the mBox mini turns any speakers into one, making sure you’re never without. The versatility this product provides by opening up the multi-room setup is unmatched. This is a killer provided it can produce audio worthy of listening to and for $195, it better. The project’s creator is looking for $40,000AUD by the end of his 30 day campaign.

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Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries Lighting Music Tech Accessories

Vox puts a pyramid of desk tools at your fingertips

In a world where humans are expected to multitask, it only seems fair that there are gadgets available that allow for gadgets to multitask as well.

Vox makes multitasking more effective in our fast paced world. Oh, let tech lovers count the ways! Six ways, to be exact. These include a rechargeable LED desk lamp, USB and laptop charger, Bluetooth speakers, video recording camera, classical clock, smartphone, and tablet dock. At the touch of a button, answer the phone while using a charging laptop, enjoying Bluetooth, and driving the caller crazy. It’s the ultimate multitasking experience with each side of the pyramid having its own unique multitask enhancing purpose!

The fun is available to those who own iPhone 6/6+, as well as owners of Apple, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, LG, Asus, Acer, and Fujitsu laptops. Early bird backers who want the six-feature premium version product can get theirs for $95 with an expected delivery of December 2014.