Categories
Connected Objects Technology

Appiom censorship app gives parents control over kids’ Wi-Fi usage

As more and more Lifetime movies revolve around the dangerous effects the Internet can have on young ones, parents are beginning to think they should limit online usage. However, these damn millennials are smart and have figured out ways to get around a lot of censorship tools.

Introducing Appiom. A little box and app that casts a safety net over the kids. The app allows users to choose different profiles and collect devices for each profile. For instance, one child’s profile may include their smartphone and laptop. With Appiom, parents can block certain apps entirely, like Facebook, or for just one hour. Similarly, they can set a timer on Internet usage, blocking kids from going online after their bedtime. Understanding that these kids are much more tech savvy than any other generation, Appiom also has capabilities to block 4g and LTE usage, preventing kids from switching from Wi-Fi to phone data to surf the Net.

Installation for this product is quite easy, requiring no router configuration or software downloads. Best of all, for smartphones at least, it only blocks certain apps, letting parents customize phone time for their kids. It would beneficial if there could be some sort of Web site blocking customization too for laptops. Still, this is an easy-to-use product that allows parents to be reasonable in their control over Wi-Fi time instead of downright Web Nazis. One will cost backers an affordable $29 donation for delivery in March 2015. Appiom is hoping to raise $25,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Imaging

Lume Cube portable flash brightens up your selfie, illuminates environment

Those who love high quality photography are moving farther away from cameras and simply relying upon their smartphones for a great shot. The smartphone camera has come a long way, providing folks with control over focus, exposure, filters and more. However, there are still a few key ways these phone cameras lag behind digital or film cameras.

Lume Cube provides the kind of light that’s hard to find when using a smartphone camera. Each cube is 1.5” and provides up to 1,500 lumens. With a strong magnet on the back and powerful suction cup, each cube can be mounted at least somewhere for the perfect shot. Or use the tripod it comes with to stand it up. Boasting two hours of battery life and no recycle in between flashes, Lume Cube can easily be used for continuous use.

Best of all, though, is the fact that these cubes sync up via Bluetooth to any iPhone or Android with its accompanying app. The app allows up to five Lume Cubes to be used at once. It also allows for dimming and either sporadic flash for photo taking or a continual flash for videos. Last, but not least, each cube is encased in waterproof silicone making it durable for wherever a photograph may need to be taken.

The campaign does a fantastic job of showing backers just how powerful this light can be, with some nighttime action shots and a before and after selfie. Lume Cube clearly delivers what it boasts. The only drawback is that they’re a bit bulky. If its creators can flatten these cubes out so that they’re less, well, cube-y, then they’d be much more portable which is the whole point of shooting with a smartphone. Backers can have one for $59 by February 2015. Lume Cube is looking to raise $56,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Connected Objects

socialBrite connected light serves up synchronized light shows, mirth

Wearables usually offer something tangible to the user, like heart rate data or fitness results. The socialBrite is yet another wearable, but this one offers small, clip-on lights that offer the potential for synchronized light shows across devices. When many are in close proximity to each other, the one paired by Bluetooth LE to an iOS or Android smartphone will dictate patterns and colors to the rest through an RF mesh network, creating vibrant displays that can be set automatically to music or customized by the user.

The socialBrite not only offers an aesthetic treat, but doubles as a sort of Bluetooth tracker for little ones because it also functions as an anti-loss device. Whenever the distance between the clip and the smartphone becomes too great, an alert is sent to the phone to inform the user providing peace of mind for parents everywhere.

Ultimately, however, the product isn’t as appealing as other platforms like the Waves system of connected lights that, while not portable, offers more openness and personalization. The socialBrite campaign is looking for $25,000 in funding to get the $25 clip on the heads of little girls everywhere by March 2015.

Categories
Tablet Accessories

GripTipz are tiny homes for your fingertips for a better tablet grip

Hanging onto that tablet or smartphone can be a real challenge on those days when life seems to be happening faster than the speed of light. And dropping an electronic device can bring sudden disaster. That’s why GripTipz was created. The soft, rubber-like grips get placed on the back of a mobile device where fingers would naturally go to give an added ability to hold gadgets more securely while still offering comfort. Multiple color options are available in an attempt to keep gadget aesthetics appealing.

While this is an interesting idea, it seems that there are better solutions in the making. Backers might want to check out LapTape and GerpGrip for ideas of what may work best for their own lifestyle situations. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000. For a donation of $19, early bird backers get one product with an expected delivery in February 2015.

Categories
Kids/Babies Smartwatches/Bands

Jumpy jumps beyond the tracker with a kids’ smartwatch

The new generation of toys is far different than anything previous generations have experienced. Sporting LCD screens and wireless connectivity, these toys offer connected environments where children can interact not only with the objects around them but with other children as opposed to staring into a pixelated abyss all day.

Jumpy is another one of those toys, coming in the form of a Android-based, Bluetooth-enabled smartwatch for children. With it, children can stay connected with their parents through Wi-Fi and send messages, play games with the device as a controller for tablet games and connected toys, and stay on top of events like waking up for school with the friendly dog avatar. An open SDK makes Jumpy an constantly evolving platform so new ideas will transform it into something new. A set of Jumpy can be had with a $99 backing, due to be shipped March 2015. The campaign is looking for $100,000 to make that happen.

Parents can keep on top of their children’s whereabouts with the included activity tracker but since the device lacks GPS connectivity, it won’t do much good should the child wander off too far. The absence of multi-lingual support and battery life claims make this a bit suspect, too. If a company is introducing a platform like this, they have to make it worth it and truly push kids to do more, like the Hybrid Play. If not, it’ll be another toy thrown to the side pretty quickly.

Categories
Cycling

Urbanshell surrounds backpacks to keep them dry, reflective

Riding a bike, scooter, or anything else for that matter in the rain is no fun at all. What’s worse is when you have a book bag on and must endure the psychological torture of knowing your precious cargo is getting completely soaked. Enter the Urbanshell, a waterproof book bag cover to keep your goodies dry that is also reflective to keep you visible at all times.

Urbanshell is extremely portable because it can fold in on itself for easy transportation. When unwrapped and in protecting mode, an ‘essentials’ pocket gives users easy access to necessary objects. It’s also durable, something that is appreciated when dealing with cyclists. It comes in three colors: fluorescent orange, pink, or lightning blue. The original orange color goes for £10 (~$16), while the newer colors go for £20 (~$32). Urbanshell is seeking £6,000 (~$9,600) to get the product in backer’s hands by March 2015.

Categories
Lifestyle

Packer’s a strap with a pack to wear your skateboard

Skateboards and boards of any kind can really be a useful tool to easily have transportation handy wherever you go. The biggest problem with them rears its head when you step off the board itself and are forced to carry it wherever you go, which can quickly become a chore. The Packer system eliminates this burden, and inevitably makes you look cool doing so.

The Packer system is comprised of the Packer itself, a bag that small enough to be unobtrusive but large enough to hold your essentials, and the Packer Risers. The Risers are special in that they are installed between the deck and trucks of a board to allow a strap to be connected, so that you can walk around with your board on your back as opposed to in your hands. You can order just the Risers and construct your own strap set-up for $19, or opt for the full set-up which will set you back $49. The company is looking for $30,000 to alleviate your skateboarding burdens by March 2015.

Categories
Smart Home

3P Plug activates your turn-ons, turn-offs with your voice

Home automation is all the rage, but not enough systems make it simple enough to incorporate these smart features into all of your lights and appliances, instead only working with a select few. What’s the point of smart home if only half of it is intelligent?

The 3P is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 enabled Smart Plug looking to outfit everything in your home not covered by other systems with smarts. It serves as the connection between the outlet and the light or appliance itself, and allows users total control over its operation with voice or remote smartphone command. The included temperature and humidity sensors also keep tabs on temperature to empower users to save energy using the companion iOS/Android app’s scheduling features. A donation of $35 gets backers a Smart Plug and the Smart Beacon with embedded sensors. A successful $20,000 campaign will see the product delivered by March 2015.

Although the 3P Smart Plug boasts voice control, it doesn’t have a wide array of commands available to it. As such, these limitations seem glaring when compared to other solutions like the SAM or AngelBlocks, which have proven to be more fully featured and provide more utility. The 3P shouldn’t be overlooked, though. It’s fairly difficult to make everything smarter, and the 3P handles the outliers well. 

Categories
Cycling Fitness

Rollerblade inventor returns with Rowbike, marrying cycling with rowing

Physiologists agree that the top three exercises a person can engage in are swimming, skiing, and rowing. Unfortunately, all three of those exercises need some sort of special environment or a machine capable of replicating its benefits. In the case of rowing, the machinery to workout with exists. Unfortunately, it’s a stationary exercise and therefore not nearly as fulfilling as being out on the water itself. The inventor of the rollerblade, Scott Olson, had this exact same thought while working out one day and it led him to create the Rowbike.

The Rowbike is a combination rowing machine and bicycle. The product is designed with total body fitness in mind, engaging all parts of your body to get you zipping along. The rowing motions employed to move along have zero impact on the knees as well, so the Rowbike is a great choice for people who may have previously injured them or who may just be a little older. Provided the campaign reaches its $55,000 goal, the $1,750 Rowbike is slated for an April 2015 delivery.

The idea of providing total body fitness with a bicycle can also be seen with the Dual Drive Total Fitness Bike. Instead of full body rowing motions, though, the Dual Drive combines hand pedals with standard foot pedals. By doing so, it still allows a user the option to use either while the Rowbike doesn’t. The Rowbike seems unsteady at slow speeds and ungainly even at high speeds, so being stuck rowing everywhere severely limits its use and makes it somewhat dangerous unless used on long straightaways that don’t require much handling.

Categories
Connected Objects Cycling

COBI connected bike system stylishly declutters handlebar gadgets

Most riders who take their biking seriously pony up the cash for all sorts of mounts and lights to make their trips more manageable, but their handlebars end up being anything but. To put it simply, handlebars are extremely cluttered and the more functionality a rider wants, the worse it becomes.

iCradle, Inc.’s COBI connected biking system is taking what cyclists want in their ride and combining it all into an unobtrusive, wireless system. On its own, COBI gives riders an automatic flashlight, turn signal, and a proximity start-up that senses a cyclist’s iPhone or Android device and reacts accordingly. The COBI’s main draw is its handlebar dock. When a smartphone is inserted, COBI instantly adds over 100 intelligent features to any standard or electronic bike, all controlled with a handy thumb controller that allows focus to stay on the road ahead. A lot of these features, like intelligent navigation, the ability to call friends, a fitness tracker, Spotify integration, and a smart theft alarm, all make use of their large, colorful screens, and their high-powered internals —all while being charged with a 6000mAh battery pack for standard bikes or an e-bike’s hub.

COBI is extremely modular, allowing riders the freedom to pick and choose which components they’d like to add or remove from their systems, handy when more are created in the future. The company has created four separate types of designs to accommodate different types of riders: racer, city, urban, and mountain. They mainly differ in aesthetic, though. A complete kit for standard bikes goes for $255, while an e-bike gets a small discount being that they come with compatible controllers at $199. iCradle, Inc. is looking to ship the product in June 2015 provided they reach their $100,000 goal.

The COBI connected system is extremely polished and full-featured, traits sure to attract a large number of supporters and adopters. With add-ons to protect from tough terrain and inclement weather, the thought behind the design and implementation of the product is obvious. Combine with the Helmetor to get maximum efficiency out of any bike.