Categories
Music Wearables

Soundglass builds bone-conducting sound into a pair of shades

The next big thing in headphones is to offer extra functions, certain styles, or increased audio fidelity. These features are welcome to those who love to have sound and music with them wherever they go, but it doesn’t really change the fundamental technology.

The Buhel SOUNDglass SG05 is a step in a direction so far out of left field that it’s a complete shot in the arm to headphone technology. It’s a pair of sunglasses that only touches the ears to hold the glasses. Buhel SOUNDglass uses Bone Conduction Technology, a means of audio amplification that sends vibrations through parts of the skull to give users the same kind of sound quality they expect while keeping their ears free and available to hear the world around them. Atellani, the creators of the Buhel SOUNDglass SG05, are trying to raise $110,000 to fund tooling and production. Supporters can get a pair for $165, shipped out in February of next year.

This is a product so revolutionary that it’s easy to get excited over. However, few people have had the opportunity to hear audio through Bone Conduction Technology, and it may be hard to take the risk. This is a truly innovative product however, and could open a whole new product space for future headphone/glasses combinations.

Categories
Smart Home

airBell connected doorbell alerts you to shenanigans via Wi-Fi or phone call

In this day and age of drone deliveries and comet landings, physically knocking on a door and waiting for someone to open it can seem a little dated and, frankly, boring. Even missing deliveries seems like something that really shouldn’t happen anymore, but for most people, it can be a commonplace occurrence.

With airBell, you can rest assured that you’ll always know exactly who’s at your door at any time and be able to promptly react. The connected doorbell sports a 3.5″ touchscreen, a motion sensor to detect guests, and can call you, send you an SMS or a push notification, or even facilitate a video chat using the onboard camera with your Wi-Fi or GSM connected smartphone or tablet. This means that you won’t have to rush anymore to open the door or miss anymore packages as you could direct the deliveryman accordingly. An alarm sounds if the airBell senses a suspicious presence and a one-touch SOS gives you the power to call proper authorities based on unexpected emergencies too. The campaign’s $25,000 goal aims to get the $159 airBell into backer’s homes by December 2014.

Although the airBell serves up a multitude of functionality and can be occasionally useful with the wayward package every now and then, its biggest problem is the fact that smartphones exist. Why buy a completely separate device that can basically do what a smartphone already does? Just because something can be automated doesn’t mean it deserves to be, but at least the product will serve as a great a conversation starter for all those home automation fetishists out there.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Congelato makes sure your food keeps its cool while you serve it

Keeping food on ice so that it has a pleasant and fresh appearance for presentation and also stays safe to eat at parties is something of a hassle. The makers of Congelato wanted to find a better way. Their idea is to use icepacks and stainless steel pans to keep food cold when it is time to take it out of the refrigerator and enjoy the meal. Food will stay cold for up to 24 hours, but icepacks must be placed in the freezer for 2-4 hours in advance.

Congelato can also be used to keep food hot if the packs are placed in boiling water for about 15 minutes, but food only remains hot for about 90 minutes, so the product seems to be much more oriented toward cold dishes. If one can prep by freezing the packs to use this product, then it seems like a great way to keep food cool. This campaign seeks to raise $200,000 CAD (~$176,400 USD) by December 14, 2014. Early bird backers get one basic product for $85 CAD (~$75 USD) with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Food and Beverage Travel

Espro Travel Press presses together three different brewing methods

Here is an item for coffee and tea connoisseurs who are typically too busy to wait for that perfectly brewed cup of caffeinated delight. Espro Travel Press blends brewer, travel mug, and thermos in one. This revamped travel mug includes a filtration system so that hot water can simply be poured over coffee or tea leaves. But it also has a function for those who prefer to use the coffee press or tea press methods so those aromatic oils can be enjoyed, and the double micro-filters mean no grit to interfere with one’s enjoyment.

The double lid prevents leaks in backpacks, purses or briefcases, and since extraction is automatically stopped and the container is made of vacuum insulated stainless steel, coffee or tea stays hot for hours. It appears that the mug will fit the average cup holder in a car, though the circumference is not specifically stated. Still, the Espro Travel Press offers versatility and convenience to anyone who really values their morning beverage. This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by December 21, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $35 with an expected delivery of March 2015.

Categories
Camping Chargers/Batteries

KaliPak soaks in the sun to create a powerful generator

When those dark and stormy nights blow through and there is no power available, everyone wishes that they had a good generator. KaliPak is a solar powered generator that is intended to provide power to individuals when the grid is down. Though the solar panel itself is not immediately available, it can also be charged via a 12V car-lighter socket or, when the grid is up again, using a regular electrical outlet. It appears that the only items that can be charged are those that are typically charged via a USB cable, since electrical outlets in conjunction with this item aren’t showing in the photos. However, there may be KaliPak adaptors available for purchase that can change that. The KaliPak app along with Bluetooth capabilities are required to determine the specifics on how much power the generator has left. The battery itself is a 39amp battery. As for mobile gadgets, keep in mind that in a natural disaster or emergency, Wi-Fi connections and cell phone towers will probably be as unavailable as electricity. This campaign seeks to raise $250,000 by December 29, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $398 with expected delivery in August 2015.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

STAR blends fitness, safety tracking

At this point, a wearable activity tracker is hardly the way to make a splash in the tech marketplace. It takes more than just calorie counting to make wearable tech worth purchasing.

The STAR by SenseGiz handles activity tracking just fine, but serves a more utilitarian purpose by enhancing the functionality of a phone as well. Offering gesture control, call notifications, sleep monitoring, workout reminders, and more, wearing a STAR either by strap or clip keeps information easier to access than by fishing a phone out of a pocket. Additionally, STAR offers a number of safety features including crash monitoring, panic buttons, and emergency notifications to local response services or friends and family. SenseGiz needs $30,000 to release the STAR, while buyers can clip one on for as little as $89, shipping out at the end of this year.

STAR is essentially trying to take the best features of several wearable devices and combine them into one easy to use package. The screen is well designed, but doesn’t have the technical punch of a smartwatch or high-end dedicated activity tracker. For those looking for just one device to handle as much as possible, STAR is worth a look.

Categories
Automotive

ArmRestor tackles distracted driving by keeping essentials close

We spend a lot of time in cars, but they’re not well designed for comfort. ArmRestor tries to change that by providing utility and relaxation. The product affixes to an attachment that slides in between the window and weather stripping on the driver’s door. Coming in both beige and black, ArmRestor features a coin slot, space for general car accoutrements, a tissue dispenser and cup holder. For ease of use, the cup holder moves around and is even detachable so it’s not in the way. The top is lined with foam-filled leather for maximum comfort for your arm.

In the campaign, the creators even claim that the rest is out of your line of sight so it won’t distract your from driving. Provided that the ArmRestor fits into your car, it doesn’t really seem to follow that someone would want to rest their left arm while driving. Usually, the right arm is reaching for stuff and adjusting the music so the left is always on the wheel. In addition, the window sill is usually a sufficient place to rest your arm. Still, interested backers can donate $36 for one by April 2015. This product is looking to raise $20,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Tech Accessories

D-Tangle wraps up a quest to manage cord tangling

The mystery of how to keep earbuds from tangling is one that many an inventor sleuth has tried to solve. D-Tangle is one of the newest products dedicated to investigating this common conundrum that riddles the good gadget lovers of the 21st century. The design its creator has invented to solve this precarious puzzle revolves around a proprietary spring and drum system. The user pops the top on a square gadget and places earphone wires inside of the specially designed D-Tangle unit. This allows them to work within a retractable system that rolls them up with the press of a button, or it appears that a gentle tug releases them for use at the user’s will. While fixing the earbud problem may have some merit, there has yet to be anything that is truly effective. Other recent attempts to wrestle with this illusive enigma include MagClip, Tiny Earin, Nunchuk, and Nearbuds and Nearbuddy. This campaign seeks to raise $20,000 by January 2015. For $15, backers get one product in their choice of white, black, blue, red or yellow.

Categories
Connected Objects Cooking

MAID smart oven trades in a cookbook for digital display and an app

Burnt brownies? Melted macaroni? Catastrophic couscous? Fear not, intrepid culinary explorer, as the MAID Oven is here to guide you towards gastronomic glory. Let the smart oven be your personal kitchen assistant with its touchscreen display and ability to recognize both gestures and voice to tell you exactly what ingredients to use and how to prepare a dish from a database of crowdsourced recipes.

Don your apron with pride when you expand your talents by discovering little-known recipes from around the world, and share yours with the world when you feel experimental. Don’t get lazy though, and make sure that apron continues to fit with the dietary and exercise suggestions provided by the companion iOS/Android app which interfaces with your smartphone to track your activity during the day and suggests appropriate foods. These recommendations are tailored to your culinary habits and caloric needs over time, factoring in the adjustments you personally make to recipes as well to make them all your own. Throughout all of this, you still retain control over every part of the process , but when the MAID Oven can automatically set time and temperature during cooking, why would you care? The MAID Oven can be had for a donation of $449 for delivery in November 2015. The campaign is seeking to raise $50,000.

Having been in production for about two and half years now, the time and effort put into this product shines through. It’s incredibly robust and fully featured, offering a full oven that can make sizable amounts of food. Here’s hoping the build quality is something that will last. The box is mighty big, too, and finding space for it in smaller places might pose a challenge. To be honest, the only thing the MAID Oven is missing a 3D printer capable of creating the food itself, but we’ll wait around to see where subsequent versions lead before getting ahead of ourselves.

 

Categories
Sports

Fan-Hand takes on the sticky with mini-dry erase boards

Here’s an item for sports enthusiasts who want more than just to be seen. They want to have their words seen too. Fan-Hand is a dry erase board that has a Velcro strip attached so that the user can wear it on their hand and hold their message high for all to see. There are also slots for dry erase markers so that the message can be changed during commercial breaks. So comments like, “The umpire is blind,” or “My grandma can throw a football better than you,” can be adequately displayed. Of course, this could also be used at rock concerts by surly fans: “You messed up the third chord in the second line of your song and we all heard it.” Or maybe college students in a large lecture hall: “Hey Prof, your delivery is dry, dull and dusty. Please do us all a favor and step down.” This campaign seeks to raise $27,000 by December 13, 2014. Early bird backers get one 8×10 size Fan-Hand for $20 with an expected delivery of January 2015.