Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Memo Box reminds those who forget to take their meds

Taking medicine consistently and on time can seem pretty easy, but even after a few days most people will start changing times or forgetting altogether. For the elderly and those close to them, most medicine has to be taken for the rest of their lives so the risk of forgetting is compounded. The seven day pill box is the classic tool to manage this all but its design has remained firmly rooted in the past.

TinyLogics has designed Memo Box to be the 21st century version of the seven day pill box. This connected medicine box not only reminds users to take their medication, but will also alert others in your circle to whether or not they have and does so all without a ridiculous amount of tech. The Memo Box is simple in that it only uses a sensor tracking when it is opened as the basis to remind users of missed doses and prevent double dosage. Such little technology doesn’t get in the way of its smarts, though. Intelligent reminders leave users alone when they’re on schedule, while the Memo Box itself learns from a user’s habits and shifts dosing schedules according to its record of openings. It’ll even cry for help when left behind by sending users a message! A Memo Box is currently sporting a special backer price of £28 (~$45) with an estimated delivery date of May 2015. The campaign has a funding goal of £30,000 (~$47,000).

The Memo Box is versatile in that in can hold pills, other smaller medicine boxes, and even inhalers if you get the premium version. It’s attractive in its simplicity and stretch goals tease other colors like navy and pink. A similar product is the Amiko which is wearable and includes much more tech at a predictably higher price point. Any tech at all can confound someone unfamiliar with it so as much as Memo Box does does to innovate in this space, accessibility will remain key and will ultimately be the deciding factor. With their simplicity, they’re heading in the right direction.

Categories
Tech Accessories Wearables

EveryKey looks like Jawbone UP, logs you in or out

We’re constantly faced with the reality that our personal or intellectual property can be stolen at any time. That’s why we walk around with tons of keys in our pockets and passwords in our heads to avoid just that. EveryKey works to consolidate all of that into one neat package that you can wear on your wrist. The silicon band uses Bluetooth LE technology to unlock both your physical and digital locks for you. Bikes, apartments, cars and other controlled access devices open up when in range of EveryKey. Similarly, passwords stored on the band allow you to login to your computer, phone or tablet. This smartband uses military-grade encryption so that you’re always protected from hackers. It’s water-resistant and charges via a micro USB port to USB cable. The battery lasts for up to 30 days.

Of course, with any all-encompassing device there’s convenience and risk that it’ll fall into the wrong hands. The folks at EveryKey have addressed this concern by allowing for deactivation of the device online if lost. All locks and passwords are still able to be open with regular keys and codes, adding more convenience if EveryKey is left behind at home or lost. The campaign says that the creators really focused on fashion when creating this product. While it comes in lots of different colors, it’s not the most vogue of devices, but not the clunkiest either. For those who are familiar with the FitBit, EveryKey bears a striking resemblance.

We’ve seen devices with some of these same capabilities like the Skylock which allows for wireless entry into your bike. While this product is limited in its range, only compatible with bikes, it comes with the added perk of letting the user know if their property is being tampered with. Perhaps such a feature would be a great addition to the EveryKey in later models. Still, this product is well thought out and a great addition to the smart security market. Backers can enjoy their own for $50 by March 2015, not a bad price at all. EveryKey is looking to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Chargers/Batteries

ReelJuice is a charger that knows how to unwind

There’s little worse than that sinking feeling that comes with realizing you forgot to charge your mobile device when out and about. If one is actually in the habit of carrying a charger, finding a convenient place and time to stop and wait for recharging can be a real hassle. With ReelJuice, no searching or waiting is required. Mobile devices can be recharged up to three times using ReelJuice5 or six times using Realjuice10. It functions independently using two Li-ion lithium batteries. The gadget includes two USB ports, one of which is a micro charger.

It’s unclear if the second one is a micro or standard size. The 48 inch attached, retractable cord reel means no tangling or getting lost during those especially busy on-the-go days. And when one finally gets home, it can be easily plugged into the wall and recharged so it’s ready next outing. While this isn’t going to power a laptop, it seems like it will work well for smartphones or tablets. This campaign seeks to raise $78,000 by December 15, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $59, with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Tablet Accessories

Tablet Branch can position your Surface above the surface

One of the most relaxing things to do on a snowy and frigid winter evening is to sit curled up on a couch in front of a toasty fire, with maybe a mug of hot chocolate or cider on the side. Tablet Branch will even hold the user’s choice of electronic gadget so sipping does not get unnecessarily interrupted.  When using it at home, it can be used on either side of the bed, couch or easy chair since the stand stand telescopes from 11″ to 20″ in height, and twists and rotates 360 degrees. Its lightweight, but solid metal design is compatible with any tablet, iPad or eReader from 7” to 11” in size and weighing up to 2.65lbs.

The specifics on which tablets and iPads or eReaders are the most compatible are not noted, but it appears that at least the most popular brands will be compatible.  This campaign seeks to raise $33,000 CAD (~$29,200 USD) by December 12, 2014. For $100 CAD (~$88 USD) backers get one product with an expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Connected Objects Wearables

Magnet provides a touch of reassurance to remote lovers

While we can’t be with our loved ones all the time, we can still say hi to them through e-mail, text or phone calls. We can see them with the help of Skype, Google Hangout or FaceTime. However, we can’t touch them when separated. Magnet offers the next best thing. Worn as either a wristband or necklace, Magnet lets you communicate with your partner through touch. Each person wears their Magnet and connects to the accompanying app. Using Bluetooth LE technology, you can touch your Magnet in a certain pattern, say three short taps. That same pattern is then transmitted to its partner, lighting up and vibrating in the same sequence.

With Magnet, you can send little coded messages to whomever you’d like and it’s just like you’re touching them. This product comes in four different colors with the choice of different kinds of necklaces or wristbands to go with it. While Magnet seems like one of those sentimental items that some of us may scoff at, it’s actually a very sweet idea, capturing the beauty of an intimate relationship from far away. For $138, any couple can get a pair of Magnets for estimated delivery in July 2015, provided the creators reach their $60,000 goal on Kickstarter.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Recyclable shaker cup lets you toss one back, toss one out

For those who don’t like swallowing all those nutritional supplements in pill form, there are nutritional drinks that help to make up the difference where healthy lifestyle is concerned. The creators of Go-Shake know firsthand that a busy lifestyle can mean that those drinks become an on-the-go item. And when the cup doesn’t get cleaned in a timely manner, it can be a pretty gross sight and smell. So this product idea offers a disposable cup that is specifically designed for those nutritional drinks that require measuring out powder and mixing with the appropriate liquid.  The cup has a standard metric scale printed on the side, and the “shaker breaker” does the mixing for the user. The lid has a re-sealable plug that allows for easy shaking, drinking and transport.

The 24 oz cup seems like it would be suitable for most drinks and the product seems very convenient overall. This campaign seeks to raise $9,200 by December 7, 2014. For $19, backers get a 20 pack of the product with an expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Imaging

MagSphere and MagBounce flash diffusers mellow the harsh

Photographs are important to us. They document the best moments in our lives, they inform us of what’s going on in the world and they keep our memories alive. That’s why bad photographs are the enemy. No one wants a giant shiny forehead front and center in their wedding portraits. That’s why the folks at MagSphere have come up with a way to calm your flash down for more flattering light. It fits over the MagMod, a flash modifier, and looks like frosted glass. MagSphere dims and softens light so that it spreads in a more flattering way instead of tacking itself to your every flaw. Best of all, it includes a gel slot so that colored light is also possible if you want to get really fancy.

The similar MagBounce, also included in the campaign, is an open version of MagSphere that increases the size of your flash by 300%. It still softens the light, but expands it as well for when you need some extra shine. For more detailed information on all things light, visit the campaign.

Usually, a product that is only compatible with a certain brand, as the MagSphere and MagBounce are with the MagMod, seems a little inconvenient. However, backers don’t seem to mind, flocking to this campaign with support. Similar products we’ve seen on Backerjack, like the Flekt, offer light diffusion, but are limited in their options. They work to expand light, much like the MagBounce does, but few aim to soften light, like the MagSphere. For $79, backers will get one MagSphere and one MagBounce. Higher reward tiers offer the MagMod, a smart move on the part of the creators, for estimated delivery in February 2015. These light diffusers hope to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Food and Beverage

ShotGunR punches a hole through the inebriation time continuum

There is a line from a particular song that comes to mind with this product: “So You Had a Bad Day…” It seems, though, that the creation of ShortGunR might be tied to more than just one bad day.  To borrow a concept from a popular comedian, one might need a career change if one feels the need to invent a more effective way to shotgun a beer.

Nevertheless, until that dream career is obtained, downing multiple beers as rapidly as possible is, well, one way to kill the time…not to mention lots of brain cells. That aside, it’s not entirely clear what materials are used to create this instrument of party animal assistance, but it is interestingly similar in its design to the OXO Steel Bottle Opener. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000 by December 7, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $4, with an expected delivery of January 2015.

Categories
Toys

Sit-n-Skate weds skateboard with street luge for low riders

The depths of boredom breed some of the most innovative and imaginative ideas. Just think back to all those evenings in your childhood where new games and ridiculous forms of transport using supermarket carts and whatever else you could find were created and played. That’s probably how the Sit-n-Skate was created, the oddly-shaped contraption that’s a Frankenstein melding of a skateboard and a seat that you can sit on. As much as it would seem cumbersome of an idea, the Sit-n-skate still retains a certain ease of use as it acts like a longboard, so you can pick up speed, slow down, and stop on a whim.

Unfortunately, it’s pretty awkward to have to use your legs to pick up speed and although the inventor states adults can use it, it’s difficult to imagine how so. In any case, the demand has to be there for a product so superfluous to experience success and with enough unnecessary Chinese manufacturing in action these days, we don’t need another uninteresting product. The Sit-n-Skate will be at backer’s doors by August 2015 for $79. The campaign is looking for $79,000 in funding.

Categories
Aquatics

Wake Wing offers a widebody alternative to parasailing

Athletes and other active types are always looking for new ways to up the ante. Extreme sports are the way to go, but once you’ve tried them all, they can get boring. That’s where Wake Wing comes in. It’s a new kind of water sport. Similar to wakeboarding or waterskiing, you’re dragged behind a boat attached by a rope. To set up, stand on the board before starting the boat. Once you get going, presumably you’ll be lifted up into the air, compliments of the ground effect; the same effect that allows airplanes to fly. The campaign claims the product will lift you up four to six feet into the air, though there’s no photographs or footage to substantiate this claim.

If this product actually works, it looks like a cool and fun way to enjoy the water. On Backerjack, we’ve seen all kinds of extreme sports devices like the WingBoard, a board that is similarly dragged, but behind an airplane (!) instead of a boat. Wake Wing lets you float in the air without the threat of death. The campaign is seeking to raise $4,000 on Kickstarter and does not offer the actual product at this time.