Categories
Cycling

Tiny N’ Mighty lights the way for cyclists, recharges in no time

Cycling is a great way to get around a city. It’s inexpensive, environmentally friendly and provides that always much-needed exercise. However, it’s dangerous to be on the road with cars and important to take all safety precautions necessary.

For light at night, there’s the Tiny N’ Mighty. What sets this bike lighting system apart from the rest is its rechargeable battery. Most lights use fussy lithium batteries, so a rechargeable battery is a good way to go. The lights are water-resistant and provide tons of bright light for both the front and back of the bike. Each light can be recharged in a matter of three hours. In addition, the lights will automatically shut off if the bike has been stationary for five minutes—a useful feature to have.

As far as bike lights go, the Tiny N’ Mighty has great potential. Most typical bike batteries do last for a long time, but for avid cyclists it’s a good idea to invest in a rechargeable system. Cyclists may also want to check out the Revolights, which illuminate a bike’s rims instead. Tiny N’ Mighty is going for a donation of $175 for delivery in April 2015. That is, if the lighting system can reach its $10,000 Kickstarter goal.

Categories
Sensors/IoT

FishBit monitors the aquarium while you’re away, makes sure water is safe

Aquariums can be difficult enough to maintain while home. They become even more difficult to take care of when the owner is traveling.

That’s why San Francisco company Current Labs developed FishBit, an aquarium monitoring system that includes an iOS and Android app, a monitor and a controller. There are rival products on the market, such as the Digital Aquatics Lifeguard Aquarium Monitor, but such products can be harder to set up. In addition, they supply similar data, but don’t help users understand what the information means.

The FishBit BETA monitor gets placed inside the aquarium and measures pH, salinity and temperature. It also monitors the controller for other aquarium equipment, including lighting and pumps, and the FishBit app that’s accessible via a smartphone or Web browser. Backers pledging at least $299 have been promised delivery of the system in June. Current Labs is looking to raise $5,000 on Kickstarter

FishBit is a promising product that is bound to appeal to many aquarium owners, but there are a few question marks. For instance, it’s not clear how many of the niche base of consumers this is aimed at will be willing to pay. Still, those who love their fish can count on FishBit for aquarium help.

Categories
Music

Leo Hahn’s Scratch Protector covers vulnerable bass or guitar backsides

Getting music gear to and from gigs without something getting scratched or broken can sometimes be a challenge. And the stakes are high since instruments and equipment are usually expensive.

While cases and blankets can usually diminish or even alleviate this problem, Leo Han’s Scratch Protector for electric and bass guitars offers musicians an option for keeping the back of their instrument a bit safer. The product is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. The felt-looking cover attaches to the strap knobs on the guitar to protect the back of the guitar from scratches.

Seems like an interesting idea, but not entirely convinced that it’s a particularly useful product unless the user tends to transport their guitar to gigs without a case, doesn’t use a guitar stand, or has a particularly large belt buckle. Interested backers might also want to check out Guitar Throne and bnd/one.  This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter. Backers don’t get a product for their support, but there are other perks available with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Connected Objects Displays

E Ink cloud display Vikaura lets your smartphone blow off some steam

Our smartphones are carriers of so much valuable information. So much, in fact, that much of it gets lost in the bowels of camera rolls, or in the depths of the rows and rows of apps. As useful as having that many photos and information may be, they’re worthless they can’t easily be accessed.

The Vikaura Screen is a 4″,6″, or 9.7″ E Ink display that’s capable of linking with multiple iPhones or Android smartphones at once. Once linked, information like photos, weather, or simply messages can be pushed to the device using Bluetooth LE technology. This enables situations where things like recipes can be displayed on the screen while running around in the kitchen, or messages can be pushed from a child’s smartphone to a screen to avoid a no cell policy at school.

At-a-glance information can be set up by subscribing to feeds on the Vikaura, always ensuring important information like news is available right by the bedside, for instance. An open API will make sure that more uses will continue to be developed too. Impressively enough, there aren’t any sort of wires as its internal, replaceable batteries support a vague “thousands” of screen updates; feasible given E-Ink’s low power requirements. Early birds can score the 4″ model for $99, the 6″ for $129, and the 9.7″ for $199, all sizable discounts on their eventual retail prices. The $125,000 campaign goal is looking to have the Vikaura Screen shipped by June 2015.

Second screen experiences are slowly becoming more and more popular, and given the wealth of information our devices contain, it makes sense. An E Ink styled display is a novel idea, and echoes the InkCase Plus in its use of E Ink. As energy saving as E Ink can be, though, it robs photos of their color, making a product like Fireside so much more attractive.

Categories
Music

Wallet Capo lets guitarists keep capo as close as cash

Being on stage and suddenly realizing that one’s capo got left in the guitar case puts a pretty awkward pause in the flow of a music set, challenging the lead singer to come up with some quick verbal improvisation that’s not necessarily clever.

Since a forgotten capo can be a real pain in the butt, Wallet Capo allows guitarists the benefit of always having a capo, um, somewhere convenient. It’s 3mm thick and is touted as being compatible with nearly any guitar neck, while also improving tone over the average capo out there. The product appears to be made of plastic with rubber fittings that go over the strings and against the back of the guitar neck.

While Wallet Capo is certainly convenient, it’s unclear whether or not the product itself is truly any better than the average capo out there. Interested backers might also like to check out Capo Clips. This product seeks to raise $5,000. For $10, backers get one capo with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Safety

iCanWalk adds illuminated safety to nighttime strolls

Many people feel that letting their kids walk to school or a nearby store is much more dangerous today than it was even a generation ago. Distracted drivers on mobile devices and the slowing reflexes of an increasing elderly population can mean more fatalities, even when one stays within the cross walk.

iCanWalk is a small light shaped like a stop sign that helps to alert drivers when the user is crossing the street. It is touted as being small enough to fit in a pocket, functions with a battery that can be recharged via the built-in USB port, and blinks when turned on. The attached handle makes it easy to hold and extend out or up to help with visibility.

This product seems like it may be useful at dusk or night in low light areas where there is a lot of traffic, but other than that, iCanWalk seems a bit over-the-top. Interested backers might also want to check out LightCycle and AquaLight. This project seeks to raise $200,000 by early February. Backers get one product for $100 with an expected delivery of January 2016.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries

Get a tan and power your devices with the SolarPad

The impressive functionality of the smartphones, tablets, and wearables in people’s lives makes it an absolute bummer when they die. Usually, power banks swoop in to save the day, but even those need to eventually be plugged in themselves. In response, products have emerged that charge devices with solar energy, but take a long, long time to do so.

The SolarPad solar charger comes in an iPad Air form factor and is outfitted with monocrystalline cells that are fully charged in just three and a half hours of direct sunlight. The product’s use of coated bamboo is attractive and keeps it that way, making it a worthy addition next to the beautifully designed devices everyone totes around. SolarPad features 2 USB ports for dual charging, and a USB in for daisy chaining or wall charging as well.

Every solar charger tries to pack solar panels onto something new, like the SolarHug and the SunnyBAG, so it’s refreshing to see it designed to be on its own. The SolarPad boasts a seven year warranty, so users won’t have to worry about anything but soaking up some sun. The product goes for $97, and its $35,000 campaign is looking to have it shipped out by March 2015.

Categories
Imaging

CamsFormer triggering system offers DSLRs more options, sensors, settings, everything

A DSLR in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing is a powerful tool that produces high quality shots. But no matter how talented a photographer is, there are just some things that are either incredibly difficult or just plain impossible to capture, such as high-speed events. A photographer’s creative impulses can be tempered by these drawbacks.

The CamsFormer triggering system addresses these weaknesses by attaching to a DSLR’s USB and cable release port and providing a combination camera remote, high-speed trigger, and motorized tilt and zoom. All this alongside CamsFormer’s variety of sensors allows photographers to set sound, light, or infra-red triggers that sets off up to two cameras and flashes from anywhere between microseconds to 32 seconds. A companion iOS app allows for wireless camera control, photo curation and upload. It even enables things like Infinity Mode where a camera can shoot infinitely despite whatever memory limitations it might have. This product offers options available anywhere since it generates its own Wi-Fi network as well.

For the CamsFormer, this is just the tip of the iceberg. It can even add video capability to cameras that don’t have it. The $189 early bird price is a steal, but the eventual retail price of $249 isn’t bad considering everything this product does. The $7,000 campaign is looking to ship the product by July 2015.

The CamsFormer is extremely impressive in that radically expands any camera’s capabilities, adding a dizzying array of customizable settings any amateur or serious photographer would love. The product is another in a long line in creative imaging solutions like the Panlight and MaxStone that do so much to make serious photography more approachable, fun, and wallet-friendly.

Categories
Sensors/IoT

GUARDOOR security system easy to set up, keeps intruders at bay

The main issue preventing many consumers from buying a home security system is the cost. Some consumers are also reluctant to set up a system because it’s too complicated to do it themselves.

GUARDOOR from San Francisco-based company, KIKTEC, offers a simple and relatively inexpensive way to keep home and office doors and windows secure, and it’s simple to set up. Each GUARDOOR is a small, triangular-shaped sensor that the user just has to stick to the corner of a door or window.

When the device senses movement, an instant alert is sent to the user’s Android or iOS mobile device. Backers who provide $59 in financing to the device’s Indiegogo campaign will get one GUARDOOR in April as part of an early bird special. That’s $20 less than its planned retail price and one month earlier than those who provide $79 in backing. KIKTEC is hoping to raise $10,000 to help with the cost of further development, manufacturing and production of the first prototype.

GUARDOOR is similar to Korner, another promising security device featuring small triangular tags that stick to the corner of a door or window. But GUARDOOR does away with the Fob device that is used with the Korner devices and must be plugged into a router. GUARDOOR, however, costs more money if the user is looking to use it with more than one door or window. A Korner starter pack including three tags for three doors or windows costs only $99.

Categories
Music

Jack offers live guitarists option of Wi-Fi rather than cables

Every musician that enjoys doing live gigs dreams of one day having roadies for setup and teardown. In the meantime, affordable Wi-Fi options are often much coveted.

Jack is one such possibility. It allows for real time streaming over a secure Wi-Fi connection, eliminating the need for cables. In order to work, the Jack requires both guitar and amp. The Jack app is supposed to allow the user to connect the Jacks through any Wi-Fi enabled device. The app also allows users to record on their instrument, edit their music, and/or upload it to their Web site or social media profiles.

One downside here is that trying to run this through a phone or tablet is really going to put a drain on the battery. And normal use for your average laptop only offers about two –four hours of life without being plugged into an outlet. Nevertheless, as much of a pain in the butt as cords can be to lug to live gigs, this is actually a pretty exciting invention and seems worth checking into further. This project seeks to raise £20,000 (~$30,300) by early February. Early bird backers get one Jack for £95 (~$144).