Category: Connected Objects

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Connected Objects Pets

Kittyo keeps your cat fed and entertained, hits paws on the remote

The Premise. For many people, pets are not simply animals taking up space in their houses while furring everything up, but are really members of the family. Leaving them for a week-long vacation or even a day at work can be sad. Unlike humans, pets can’t simply pick up the phone to talk which leaves the question: how do you interact with your pets when you’re away?

The Product. Kittyo is a device that lets you play with your cat when you’re not at home. This compact product dispenses treats, comes with a laser for your cat to play with, and has a speaker and camera so that you can watch and talk to your cat. Using wi-fi and an iOS or Android app, pet owners can interact with their pets in real time to control the laser and treat dispenser. Kittyo is roughly the size of a coffee grinder and comes with a shelf mount to keep it from getting knocked over by hungry kitties.

The Pitch. The video shows a bunch of cat people talking about how excited they are for Kittyo. It also shows the device in action, featuring a woman on her phone watching her cat chase around the laser that she’s controlling, pretty cool. The creators talk about how Kittyo is great for engaging fat cats that could use some exercise, which makes sense. The rest of the campaign shows the specs of the dispenser along with cute, irresistible kitten photos. Kittyo needs has a $30,000 goal for its 32-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. Kittyo’s creators offer two early-bird specials of $99 and $119. The Kickstarter standard price of $139 is $50 less than the expected retail price of Kittyo. All tiers have an estimated delivery date of November 2014.

The Potential. Cat people will do just about anything to interact with their pets while they’re away. Recently the market has been flooded with these types of devices that use wi-fi to interact with cats. PetPal and iCPooch also let users talk to and watch their cats while away. Some focus simply on the dispensing of treats or food, like PETLY and Pintofeed. Kittyo is the first of these devices that have the added laser option which actually lets people play with their cats when they’re out of the house which is fairly cool. The price of Kittyo is also on the lower end of these products, which makes it that much more attractive. All in all, the Kittyo’s awesomeness will have backers thinking the product is the cat’s meow.

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Accents Connected Objects

Smart O’Clock keeps you on top of scheduled appointments

smartoclockWhen planning a day around appointment notifications, there doesn’t appear to be a middle ground. Pop-up alerts or alarms either seem to happen too early to be significant and are quickly closed, or so late that the only option is to stop everything and run out the door. The Smart O’Clock combines the display of a standard wall or desk clock with Bluetooth Low Energy and electronic ink to solve this problem. Using a standard analog clock face with an extra segmented ring, the Smart O’Clock syncs up to any calendar app on iOS or Android phones and blacks out segments of the day that are already spoken for with activities. The approach seems more useful than the e-ink-based aclock. Smart O’Clock will arrive to customers who pledge at least $69 in July 2014.

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Connected Objects Imaging

Famatic tries tapping into the senior market with a cloud-connected photo viewer

The Premise. There’s nothing that grandparents love more than photos of their grandkids. Photo sharing these days is easy with the Internet and social media, but grandparents are notorious for having trouble using these new technologies. From a distance, sharing photos with older people can be difficult.

The Product. Famatic is a digital picture frame with an added touch screen bonus. People can share photos via wi-fi directly to the frame so that grandparents can enjoy a slideshow of new material right from their living room. The 8 GB device connects to Instagram, Facebook and e-mail as well so that people sharing on these platforms can easily upload their photos or videos to Famatic. The screen shows who shared the photo or video along with the caption and allows users to comment on each photo.

The Pitch. Famatic’s pitch begins with a charming video showing a family using the product with ease. It manages to use the same infomercial format that many campaigns use, but does so in a cute way that will make you laugh. The Famatic creators express an interest in the rest of the campaign to connect their product to more social media, including Flickr and Picasa. Famatic hopes to raise $75,000 in their 42-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. This-amped up digital frame from the Netherlands offers a $169 early-bird special for the U.S. which includes shipping and a $209 international early-bird special with shipping included for the EU. At its regular price, the Famatic frame costs Americans $189 and the rest of the world $229. The highest reward tier of $329 offers different color options for backers. All tiers have an estimated delivery date of October 2014.

The Potential. The glory days of the digital photo frame have faded in the wake of tablet popularity. However, cloud-connected frames have some potential. Prior to leaving the consumer imaging market, Kodak had some success with the Kodak Pulse More recently, Flink went the crowdfunding route for its cloud-connected picture viewer, but fell short in its campaign. That said, Famatic is a promising way to share photos with friends and families alike and will improve as its creators add to their product in the future.

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Connected Objects

Cubic ORBneXt is an artful light that provides color-coded notifications

The Premise. As great as smartphones are, the frequency with which they alert users with notifications can be extremely distracting. Setting custom notifications can single out the truly important information, but can be time-consuming to set up and can be impolite in social situations.

The Product. The ORBneXt is an updated version of the Orb art piece/single-pixel notifier created by Ambient Devices in its early days. It’s a hand-held, easy to use accessory that can sync up with any phone wirelessly and display notification information through a series of ambient colors. The ORBneXt connects to a phone and its Wi-Fi network by resting on top of the device, and then , using a blinking-light sequence similar to the one used by Quirky’s smart devices, can be programmed through its app to monitor information like weather, sports scores, stocks, and more. That information can then be tied to colors (for example, turn red when the weather’s getting warmer), so that the displaying color carries with it information that matters to its user’s life. The ORBneXt is made with a stylish Japanese glass housing, and has an easily modifiable brain in addition to its flexible IFTTT-enabled app.

The Pitch. The creative minds at Ambient Lumonics Labs show off the ORBneXt inside and out with their campaign information. The video focuses on the everyday use of the device while the photos and text cover all the technical details and stress how easy the device is to customize for any need. A second video that demos the product does a better job of selling the device’s strengths for the end user. Advanced Lumonics Labs needs $12,000 to complete a market-ready product in order to apply for certifications.

The Perks. Backers looking to score an ORBneXt can have one by August for a pledge of $79. Anyone with one of the older Ambient ORB devices can retrofit it to function as an ORBneXt for $69, with self-installation. If that’s too long to wait, a prototype of the device is available in June for $500.

The Potential. The flexibility of the ORBneXt’s internal hardware and its app belie the simplicity of the information it can display. Unfortunately, without being able to acknowledge a notification and clear it or get more precise details without unlocking the phone and looking at the app, its effectiveness is limited. The device does look sharp at home on a desk or in the office, but the amount of time it saves is measured in small bursts of seconds, and might not be worth it for some. Like the original Ambient ORB, the ORBneXt’s appealing form is overshadowed by its lack of function.

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Connected Objects Music

Gramofon is a Trojan horse box that streams home music, fosters public Wi-Fi

The Premise. The beauty of streaming music is that listeners can enjoy the music they love, no matter where they are. Transferring that access to an audio system worth listening to, on the other hand, often proves to be more difficult.

The Product. The Gramofon is designed to take all the accessibility of a Wi-Fi hotspot, and put that to use to stream music in the home or office. By using Facebook credentials instead of various wi-Fi passwords, it’s easy to use the Gramofon app to connect and start pumping music through any stereo equipment. Right now, the app supports Spotify natively, but there are many other streaming services expected to be added later. AllPlay technology, also supported by Musaic, provides compatibility with an emerging set of music sources.

The Pitch. With one of the more slickly-produced Kickstarter videos in recent memory, Fon CEO Martin Varsavsky and his team take viewers through Fon as a Wi-Fi hotspot company and how the idea of turning hotspots into music players led to the development of Gramofon. The entire campaign smacks of the same trendy, simple design that the device itself supports, and the confidence the developers have in the product will likely carry over to those supporting it. Gramofon needs $250,000 to start the party, increasing the number of support services, finalize the design, and go into production.

The Perks.  Getting a Gramofon will take a pledge of $50 for black, or $60 for white. Both products are expected to arrive in July.

The Potential. Devices like these are starting to crop up, combining the ease of having thousands of songs streaming from any device with the enjoyment of sounds through proper audio output channels. The modern design is similar to the Aether Cone, but the Gramofon really only provides the phone connectivity – more pieces required, but a better sense of control. Also similar is Apple’s Airport Express, but this device only handles music instead of full network sharing like the Airport, although that device has become a bit more streaming-friendly with the launch of iTunes Radio. Fon is also promising backers will get full free access to their millions of hotspots by supporting the Gramofon, so that can be an added incentive to pledge. All in all, the Gramofon is an inexpensive option that offers the quirky benefit of joining into a Wi-Fi-sharing network further along in Europe, but those who want a device that does more won’t yet be satisfied with what this product has to offer.

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Connected Objects Pets

PetPal separates electronics from feeder to dispense foods remotely

The Premise. Having pets is wonderful, but it’s necessary to find someone to care for them when you’re out of town. It’s tough to travel or even go out for the day when you have to worry about feeding your dog or cat.

The Product. PetPal is a pet feeding system that holds up to 15 pounds of food. Using Wi-Fi and an app, pet owners can dispense food into the bowl without actually being in the house. A button on the top dispenses food too so the bowl can also be used when you’re home. The PetPal has a camera and motion detectors so that you can see and take photos or videos of when your pet eats. A microphone and speaker lets you hear your pet and talk to it as well.

The Pitch. Ken Powers, the creator, talks about his love of animals and pets in the video. He wanted to make a product that would not only feed his pets, but that would also allow him to see and talk to them when he’s away. In the rest of the campaign he discusses how he wanted to build his product like his durable toaster that has lasted him for 40 years. PetPal hopes to raise $150,000 in its 45-day Kickstarter campaign.

The Perks. PetPal’s reward tiers offer three early bird specials at $350, $360 and $360. The system goes for regular price of $395. All tiers have estimated delivery dates of August 2014.

The Potential. There have been a lot of pet care products looking for crowdfunding recently. PETLY is an automatic pet feeder that works off of a schedule to deliver food at regular times. Pintofeed also has Wi-Fi capabilities so that you can feed your animal from a smartphone, computer or tablet. Most similar to the PetPal, the iCPooch lets dog owners video chat/bark with their pets and even deliver them a treat it they’d like. PetPal is by far the most sophisticated of these. It delivers food either manually or automatically and the microphone and camera are a great way to keep an eye on things at home. The price, however, is quite steep compared to similar products being developed. Other than the expense, PetPal looks like a perfect way to feed and keep an eye on pets when out of town.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Impress dentists with the Kolibree smart toothbrush

The Premise. As the Internet of Things continues to grow and expand, it seems like no object or appliance is safe from connectivity. Now this trend is spreading into the bathroom with personal care products designed to give users helpful feedback and data.

The Product. The Kolibree is an electric toothbrush equipped with an accelerometer, gyrometer, and magnetometer in order to tell its users how well they are brushing their teeth. This data can be sent to any iOS or Android device for tracking, brushing history, and advice on how to brush better. From there, the Kolibree is being designed to enhance the brushing experience with social sharing, dentist interaction, and games designed to keep brushing effective while also making it fun.

The Pitch. The Kolibree team show off their latest prototypes of the app and the device itself, complete with dentist approval. While a smart toothbrush may sound excessive to some, the campaign materials do a good job of explaining how a connected brush can be the next big advancement in oral hygiene. Kolibree needs $70,000 to get certified and begin mass production of the brushes, as well as get the developer kits in the hands of those that can push the most out of this tiny device.

The Perks. A Kolibree with a replacement brush head will be available in October to backers who pledge at least $99. Those who want more brush heads and a choice in color will opt for the $149 tier, and developers can get early SDK access before the device launches for $199. The startup is reaching out to the professional crowd, too. Dentists can get some extra software with their Kolibree for $299, and patients who want to interact with the Kolibree and their dentist can beta test the interactive features for $399. Finally, creative brushers can design their own Kolibree for $1,200.

The Potential. In contrast to the Grush designed for children, the Kolibree is a more sophisticated device, made for users of all ages while still gamifying dental hygiene to keep children interested. The social aspects might be too much information for some, but being able to directly upload brushing statistics to dentists will finally give patients something to point to when grilled about their habits. In any case, Kolibree should prepare to brush up on competing with the big boys of brushing.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness Kids/Babies

Gaming toothbrush invites kids to a dandy Grush saga

The Premise. Getting kids to brush their teeth might as well be pulling teeth. Whether it’s because they just don’t want to or because of the association with an approaching bedtime, enforcing good dental hygiene often becomes an intense battle of wits and perseverance.

The Product. Parents can now rejoice with the arrival of the gaming toothbrush, or Grush. This children’s toothbrush is chock full of motion sensors and accelerometers, designed to work in tandem with any Android and iOS devices to turn brushing teeth into a fun game. With multiple games to choose from, young brushers can chase monsters out of their teeth, conduct an orchestra, or groom cute animals while really fighting the true enemy: plaque. The brush has replaceable heads so that money can be saved when it’s time to change out the toothbrush, and the Grush also records data on how children are brushing their teeth. That data can be used by parents to know how children are taking care of their chompers and to show to the family dentist so he or she has a clear picture of the child’s brushing habits as well.

The Pitch. Grush co-Founders Ethan Daniel Schur and Dr. Yong-Jing Wang give a quick demonstration of the Grush and what it can do for everyone in the family, including the dentist. Outside the video, Grush gives a solid breakdown of what to expect from the games and how the device works. Grush wants to raise $50,000 to develop both the platform’s software and hardware.

The Perks. Parents can get a Grush Brush with 2 replacement heads, access to all of the games and the cloud storage for brushing data for at the early discount of just $30. Parents with multiple children can get a double pack for $115, while developers who want to create new features for Grush can get a developer kit for $360. The Grush system is expected to launch in March 2015.

The Potential. The Grush isn’t about to make children stop asking for an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4, but really kids just want to interact with the world and have fun. These two principles are what the Grush is about from the user perspective, so kids won’t mind that they’re brushing their teeth at the same time. However, as with any new toothbrush, one concern is the availability of replacement brush heads. Pediatric dentists will probably keep a handful of these at the ready to deal with their most stubborn customers, while parents will gladly pay up just to not have to argue with kids on a nightly basis. However, as with any new toothbrush, one concern is the availability of replacement brush heads.

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Accents Connected Objects Imaging

Appnificent Eclipse digital frame shares shares photos with your social circles

The Premise. Sharing photos is something almost everybody likes to do. Doing so should be easily and unintrusive, combining the excitement of receiving a social media notification with the surprise of an unexpected gift.

The Product. The Appnificent Eclipse is an addition to the smart photo frame market that integrates the features that users are used to applying to their photos when sharing them through social media. This way, using the Eclipse app, owners can take photos, doctor them to make them more attractive, add messages or emoticons, and then share them only to invited users via their Eclipse frames, Twitter, Facebook, and Dropbox. The frame itself connects to a home wi-fi network with a simple push of a button and can hold up to 2GB of photos for viewing as static images or part of a slideshow.

The Pitch. Appnificent Co-Founder Rod Spongberg introduces us to the Eclipse, showcasing how easy it is to connect the frame to both a wireless network and users of the Eclipse app. The rest of the campaign’s site goes over how to use each of the Eclipses features, from applying filters and sharing to adding emoticons and messaging. Appnificent wants to raise $75,000 to handle the tooling and production of the Eclipse. At $100,000 a stretch goal to double the frame’s storage from 2GB to 4GB will be unlocked.

The Perks. The Eclipse is available to backers who pledge $115 in either Charcoal Grey or Optic White. The device is also available with a custom protective travel case at the $165 level. All frames will be delivered In August of this year.

The Potential. There have several digital photo frames posted to crowdfunding sites in the past, and the most common “new” feature is the ability to wirelessly send photos securely. In that, the Appnificent Eclipse offers little in terms of innovation, but what makes it attractive is the large, high-quality display and the Instagram-like features that can be selected through the app before sending out the photo. The Eclipse is a strong choice for anyone in the market for a digital photo frame, but doesn’t quite offer enough to make consumers want to replace their existing frame.

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Connected Objects Food and Beverage Health and Wellness

SITU smart food scale counts calories and more from raw ingredients

situAs easy as people say it is to count calories and eat less junk food, combining those two goals can prove to be a bigger challenge. Boxed, frozen, canned, and fast food options have readily available nutritional data. But cooking at home, preparing meals out of fresher, healthier ingredients, how exactly does one figure out a serving size?

Extending the idea of a smart scale for humans, SITU is a smart food scale that can provide nutritional data for any bit of food. SITU weighs food and then transmits that information to an iPad. From there, users can track calorie intake, sugar, sodium, or any other ingredient. That information can be used and applied to analytics that will guide users through whatever their goal is: shedding pounds, adding weight, managing diabetes, and more.  It’s an idea that others have tried already, including the eerily similar Smart Food Scale by Chef Sleeve, but SITU hopes that its complete nutritional data and ease of use will help it stand out.

While there’s plenty of cause to be skeptical about the scale’s accuracy, he campaign video shares the personal weight loss story of the inventor who used to count calories by hand and managed to lose 100 pounds, lending credence to the effectiveness of a smart scale like SITU. Backers who pledge £50 plus £12 for shipping outside the UK can get a SITU in November and start losing pounds in time for an easier New Year’s resolution.