As any gentleman knows, sending a card with a gift is imperative for the opportunity it provides to share a sentiment. But what if gift givers could record videos, songs, pictures or other surprise content to enhance the gift? Tagtalk has just that idea in mind, combining QR codes and NFC to sync up to cloud-based uploads. These colorful gift tags can be attached to any present and make giving a gift more personal, even from thousands of miles away. It’s hard not to get ideas of how to use these tags to surprise friends and loved ones after watching the campaign video. A Tagtalk tag is available for as little as $6 CAD and launches in August.
Category: Connected Objects
The Premise. There’s something about a shower that brings out the inner rock star in people. Whether it’s the acoustics of a bathroom or the resemblance between showerheads and microphones, who doesn’t like a little music in the shower?
The Product. Speaker Creatures are fun, shower-safe Bluetooth speakers that sync up with devices up to 30 feet away to bring the whole band into the shower. With suction cups, the Speaker Creatures (thematically shaped like an octopus and a snail) can stick to any surface and play music for approximate 6 hours of battery life before it needs recharging. Better yet, the speaker itself has a control panel allowing owners to play their favorite songs without having to track water through the house. A built-in microphone is also available to take any incoming phone calls — a dubious proposition in the shower, but one that is blissfully free of video capability.
The Pitch. Speaker Creature developer OnHand embraces the cute, fun design of its creatures for its campaign video, breaking up a showcase of the speaker’s features with a little stop-motion animation of the speakers themselves. OnHand also shows off some early design ideas and even how Speaker Creatures can be used as a phone stand outside of the shower, thanks to its universal suction cup design. OnHand wants to raise $15,000 to prepare its inventory for launch and to create the special mold required for the device.
The Perks. Backers who want a snail-shaped speaker can get one at $25, while the octopus is currently only available for $30 pledges. These speakers will be blasting out tunes by May 2014.
The Potential. A lot of people would probably love to have a little accompaniment to rock out with while singing in the shower. Waterproof speakers like these are nothing new, but the fun design and built-in music player controls certainly give Speaker Creatures an edge. The less said about being able to answer phone calls while taking a shower, however, the better. Speaker Creatures are fun and sure to be well-liked by children and adults, but based on the technology and the price, audiophiles will probably be passing.
The Premise. For all that humanity has learned about growing and harvesting plants, botany still tends to be something of an inexact science for the average person. Instead of attributing a plant’s success to whether or not one has a green thumb, one company wants to offer a more precise method of understanding plants.
The Product. The Micro Experimental Growing system, or MEG for short, is an indoor greenhouse that looks like a tricked-out gaming PC, but is really a connected, totally customizable platform for growing almost any plants. Connecting to tablets and mobile devices, this Arduino-based device can control temperature, humidity, ventilation, light intensity and cycles, and even soil pH levels. The device will be completely open-source and only requires about as much power as a modern television. Additionally, it includes a social platform allowing users to share their data when they understand the right settings to make a plant flourish.
The Pitch. Italian developer Yradia is excited to geek out about MEG in its video and it’s easy to see why. In addition to looking sleek and very modern, MEG looks simple to use once it’s running. The campaign photos explain the different components of MEG, how the social aspect will work, and covers the daunting, customizable reward tiers. Yradia wants to raise £98,000 to develop the online aspects and get started with manufacturing. It has also set up a stretch goal at £350,000 to begin a beta testing program, having users grow three plants under a variety of conditions to compare results.
The Perks. Though the individual pieces and peripherals are available at lower tiers for those who already have a botanical setup, a complete MEG kit isn’t available until the £2,800 tier, at which point the device arrives disassembled. For those who are better working with plants than they are technology, a fully assembled unit is available for £3500. The components will ship in September, the pre-assembled units follow in October, and the DIY kit after that in November.
The Potential. There is a ton of potential here for home growers, botany enthusiasts, and especially for scientists. By being able to perfectly control and replicate the variables involved in growing a plant, laboratories on different continents can contribute to the same experiment. It is likely more involved than the average hobbyist will want to take part in, but anybody who wants to grow the best plants will need a MEG, or something like it, before long.
The Premise. High-impact workouts can be violent, both in what they do to muscles, and how making time for them can disrupt a daily schedule. One portable device wants to take all that violence and do away with it.
The Product. The SmartMio wearable muscle stimulator is a series of electrode pads that can be connected to any number of muscle groups and controlled by the proprietary app. The app mimics the nerve impulses that the brain sends to these muscles during exercise and uses electricity to stimulate these muscles into working, creating more endurance and strength to complement an existing workout regimen. Because the electrodes are portable, they can be worn underneath clothes and used anywhere. The same stimulation can be used as a mild massage that can help improve circulation or help rehab tired muscles.
The Pitch. Right away, viewers are treated to a pulsating arm hooked up to electrodes, which is a little jarring to watch, but everyone hooked up seems dedicated to fitness and the results are apparent. Various designers and executives for SmartMio are all excited to share the product based on its flexibility and portability, and based on their snug-fitting t-shirts, they probably know a thing or two about fitness. Other campaign graphics explain the reward tiers, the science behind the stimulators, and answer some pertinent medical questions as well as acknowledging that stimulation is an adjunct to and not a substitute for exercise. SmartMio needs $50,000 to attract investors to help the device find its way to store shelves more quickly.
The Perks. A SmartMio with choice of color and 4 sets of electrodes that are designed to work for 4 months of regular use can be picked up for $89, arriving in November of this year. The Duo package which comes with double the equipment is available for $169, and there are Family and Team packages with higher multiples for tiers reaching up to $699.
The Potential. Admittedly, watching the SmartMio go to work zapping muscle groups looks a bit morelike torture than it does a good workout, but it’s hard to argue with the results shown in its video. Only the most dedicated fitness buffs will probably make regular use of this device, but personal trainers, physical therapists, and professional athletes would almost certainly not leave the house without their SmartMio.
The Premise. Part of what makes losing weight so difficult is that counting calories is an inexact science at best. Even with nutritional information, one has to monitor serving sizes and even cooking methods to know just how much calories are being consumed.
The Product. SmartFork and companion SmartSpoon want to do all the counting, and leave owners to simply do the eating. Pairing with an iPhone or Android via Bluetooth, the SmartFork takes into consideration the weight on the utensil and uses complex algorithms and sensors to determine the protein, fat, and carbohydrate content of the food and track caloric value. These utensils are save to eat with, easy to use and sync with weight loss websites, and are even dishwasher-safe.
The Pitch. Inventor Damir Wallener has been working on this concept for a while now, showing off multiple prototypes that started with more simple foods that only represented one of the three main detection groups (fat, protein, carbohydrates). The campaign video is short but sweet, explaining what the SmartFork or SmartSpoon can do, and why backers should donate. To put SmartForks to work making smart eating easier, $25,000 CAD is required to stabilize the manufacturing process of these smart yet simple tools.
The Perks. Bringing a SmartFork or SmartSpoon to the plate only takes a pledge of $99 CAD. Getting both takes $149 CAD, and at $199 CAD these utensils can be added to the prototype SmartBowl which works on similar principles. All products are expected to be delivered before the end of summer.
The Potential. SmartFork embraces some of the same concepts of the HAPIfork but actually determining the nutritional value of what it’s shoveling into your mouth is a tall order. It’s easy to be skeptical about how well these products work. If the tests show an orange slice, or a bit of chicken and calculate it, what about thick stews with lots of ingredients, or ice cream with toppings surrounded by the base flavor? Damir Wallener is confident in the impact of the SmartFork and SmartSpoon; ultimately, this kind of intelligence will be required to complement the wide range of exercise meters on the market.
The Premise. Photo sharing has never been easier with the growth and ease of using social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat. While it’s great to see photos of your family, friends, and favorite activities all around the world, almost all the photos we see are through a screen. Tangible photo albums and pictures are mostly things of the past because printing out high quality photos isn’t really convenient on a traditional home printer, and going to a convenience store just takes too much time.
The Product. The LifePrint is a compact wireless printer built for your smartphone that allows you to send and receive high-quality photo prints to anyone in the world instantly. Just like your typical social networks, you can connect to your family and friends who mean the most to you. But instead of posting it for them to “Like” on a computer screen, you can send them a picture they’ll love with the LifePrint. The sentiment of a hard copy photo is now much more accessible because the LifePrint only requires a cellular connection. A 3G connection is all that you need to open up the LifePrint app and print from anywhere in the world; it’s unclear what the monthly charge would be for the LifePrint’s connectivity.
The Pitch. LifePrint really pays close attention to the small details and the importance of visuals in its crowdfunding video. The video and the page show how the LifePrint is a portable and efficient way to make photos special again by making it clear how easy it is to share and receive photos with your network from anywhere in the world.
The Perks. There are two separate versions for Android and iPhone devices, but each costs the same at $99 for the early bird price. This is actually one of the better deals you can get on a portable photo printer, and especially one that has the capability to print anywhere like the LifePrint. That pledge comes with 10 photo prints, but if you want more, you can get the LifePrint with 100 photo prints for $145.
The Potential. LifePrint looks like a great bridge for sending photos to friends and family, particularly those who want something with a bit more permanence than a SnapChat product. The clunkier and more expensive LG PD233 Pocket Photo Printer and the Polaroid CZA-20011B PoGo Instant Mobile Printer both work over Bluetooth, which means your phone has to be in range in order to print a photo. However, other products that allow remote photo display and printing, such as the Presto printer and The LifePrint’s ability to connect people through photos means a lot more people will be hanging photos of their loved ones on their actual wall—not their Facebook wall.
The Premise. Part of what makes staying in shape such a chore is having to go to a gym to work out. Even with home fitness equipment, it has to be lugged out or take up living space and usually takes full attention as well.
The Product. The TAO WellShell is an unassuming, pocket-sized device that can deliver an intense workout. With customizable settings that can be controlled through the companion app, the WellShell can be an invigorating workout for users of all strengths. As users press the TAO with their hands or against a surface, the WellShell vocally advises the user to apply more or more or less pressure until the right zone is found and held. The exercise works on the same principles as pilates or planking. The WellShell can also monitor heart rate and function as a pedometer.
The Pitch. TAO’s Co-Founder, Philo Northrup, demonstrates how to use the WellShell and talks about how easy it is to use the device to get a workout in anywhere. Another video features people trying out TAO for the first time and realizing that for as simple as the device is, working out with it can be a challenge. Adding to the hype is all of the media attention the TAO WellShell has received, from its CES debut to appearances on Live with Kelly and Michael. TAO is looking for $100,000 to contract manufacturing experts and finalized a sturdy, attractive design.
The Perks. Backers can get a TAO WellShell and the app for $149, half the suggested retail price. A $500 pledge is ideal for trainers who want to make their training program part of the app to monitor client activity, and for $1,000 backers can get a designer WellShell with a handmade white leather cover. The TAO WellShell is expected to be delivered in November 2014.
The Potential. Of course, one doesn’t need a machine to do isometric hand presses anywhere and for a portable product and the vocal nature of the WellShell could be distracting in public without headphones; the product is a little on the hefty side for something that might be pocketable. On its own, it might not be enough to find a home in the crowded home fitness marketplace. However, by showing off integration with product remotes, apps, and even potential gamification, the portability and versatility will appeal to those looking for a cloud-trackable exercise in the office, the waiting room, or at the bus stop by next year.
The Premise. Sometimes we fantasize about the scenes that go on around us, which we know we can never be a part of. We’ve all said things like “I wish I could have been there to see that!” or “I would have paid to see the expression on his face when… ” and the ever popular and overused phrase “to be a fly on the wall…” And sometimes, it’s not fantasy, but a comfort to be able to peer in to a place without physically being there– think baby monitors and nanny cams.
The Product. CamNGo enables you to record videos with sound from almost anywhere. Its coaster-like compact and smart design makes it easy to mount to most surfaces, and incorporates a SIM card so you can stream live footage straight to your smartphone – even if the camera is not connected to Wi-Fi. You can also use the app to take still images from the video with the press of a button. Battery life is about 10 hours, but video storage capacity is about 3 hours. It’s unknown if footage can be automatically backed-up to your smartphone for continuous use over the life of the battery.
The Pitch. The campaign video, while energetic, takes us into territory that vaguely borders on creepy. Watching it, you may wonder if the product was innocently inspired by a father who wanted to record a perfect day spent with his daughter, or by a boyfriend who wanted to record a perfect all-nighter with some guy’s daughter. There’s also a shady scene showing two men exchanging money while another man looks on, obviously pleased. And let’s not forget the assumed husband peering on his wife who is enjoying a private moment while cleaning the house. One that is not only being watched, but also being shared to an assumed mutual friend: creeptacular. Pair that with these words from the campaign website, “This camera … allows you the control and the knowledge of the special times, the expected and unexpected times, the magical times, and all the little surprises on the way which make life so meaningful.” and you have stumbled upon the stalker’s mantra.
The Perks. Backer perks range from $5 to $100,000 with the highest levels intended for prospective distributors. If you’d like to secure yourself a CamNGo in either bright white or metallic pink (odd choices for something that may be want to be used discreetly), you can take advantage of an early bird special for $169. For Black or Metallic Silver CamNGos you’ll need to shell out an additional $10.
The Potential. If you can look past the product campaign, you will see that there are many practical and justifiable applications for a product of this nature. There are many other remote-controlled Internet cams out there, but few of the popular ones have cellular capability. If funded, it could have the potential to challenge the video-dedicated giant that GoPro has become. The campaign goal is hefty at $100,000, however it’s a flexible funding campaign so founders will receive all funds raised over the campaign’s 40 days, even if it does not make goal. If CamNGo goes into production, we can only hope that it does not turn into a “CamNCreep”.
The Premise. Without a full-home wireless sound system, listening to a variety of streaming music personalized to each listener’s taste requires a lot of bulky transportation and set-up. Between the device that can connect to streaming audio and the kind of speakers necessary to fully enjoy the music, the process is cumbersome at best.
The Product. The Aether Cone is a minimalist but powerful artificial jukebox of sorts. It can wirelessly connect to streaming music, internet radio, and even podcasts for up to 8 hours. By turning the outer dial, the speaker turns on and begins streaming music. The center of the speaker can be tapped to pause, or held to ask for something specific. Adventurous listeners can spin the dial again like a radio to find suggestions of a different genre. The device is extremely light and portable and boasts dual tweeters, a 3” woofer, and a 2.1 20w amplifier.
The Pitch. The full-screen integrated video for Aether’s Cone is slickly produced, pain-stakingly trendy, and explains absolutely nothing. The entire site is like this, with the “How it Works” and “Details” pages offering only the slightest bit more information. It isn’t until the actual product page that viewers learn what it costs, when it will be available, and the technical specs. As of right now, there is no specific funding goal listed on the page, and potential pre-orderers can only put their name on a waiting list for the time being.
The Perks. The Cone is expected to retail at $399, and it is unknown at this time if pre-ordering customers will receive a discount or additional perks. The initial run will ship out in early Summer.
The Potential. Modern and attractive, the Cone is the iPod shuffle of of connected home audio . However, the price seems steep for what it offers. The statement Aether is making about simplicity is clear, but it would be nice to have the capability to tap into playlists so as not to be at the mercy of shuffle, and with support only for devices running iOS 7+ or Mac OSX 10.9+, the user base becomes even further reduced. If music fans already have that kind of tech, they can probably better get by with a high-end Bluetooth speaker that offers the same level of convenience with more direct control and compatibility, albeit maybe not as much style.
The Premise. It never fails. You’re in a hurry: your car keys mysteriously disappear. Or it could be that you’re out shopping, your purse is in the cart, you turn your back for a moment and then can’t find your purse. These and other activities can be monitored by an app that not only acts as your personal lost and found, but is capable of some other interesting activities.
The Product. Lupo aims to be your best electronic buddy and ultimate administrative pal all rolled into one. The app’s ability to track your stuff through interconnected technology may very well mean that mom no longer needs to tell little Johnny where he had his shoes last, where Dad laid down his wallet, or where Susie left her phone. Those who are tech-savvy can even use Lupo to control some soothing music from their favorite mobile device while putting together that high-power presentation for work. And if it just so happens that the cat ran off with the mouse, no worries. Lupo even has the potential to function like a wireless mouse.
The Pitch. The video for the £20,000 campaign actually does a great job of succinctly explaining what Lupo does and how it works. It seems worth noting that Lupo technology works via “state of the art algorithm,” which should mean that battery life is extended, Lupo’s range and other settings can be varied, and that new, unique apps are possible with API support.
The Perks. There are seven tiers from which backers may choose. For £24 (or about $39 USD), a backer gets one Lupo in their choice of white, black or blue. The mini tracking device is expected to retail for £40, and the estimated delivery is August 2014.
The Potential. Lupo will likely have a wide demographic from teens to young adults to parents and possibly young-at-heart grandparents. While Lupo’s software component is available in the app store, it’s not yet available for Android, but that’s temporary. Lupo competing against a host of Bluetooth finding campaigns, including XY, Chipolo and Hone as well as products such as the Kensington Proximo, and Wallet TrackR. However, unlike many of those, the product’s remote activation capabilities and platform capabilities could help set it apart.