Categories
Smart Home

Ambi is another connected add-on that tells air conditioners to cool it

For air conditioner lovers, the scene is all too familiar. The house is the perfect temperature when it’s time to go to sleep, and then in the middle of the night, it feels like a new ice age has arrived. Ambi Climate is a smart brain for any model of air conditioner with an infra-red remote that senses outdoor and indoor conditions to adjust the air conditioner to the perfect temperature. Monitoring humidity, time of day, weather, motion, and indoor temperature, Ambi Climate adjusts the air conditioning to the perfect setting before anyone can even consider adjusting it.

Like any good smart air conditioner, Ambi Climate can also be adjusted manually using its app, even while outside of the home. Ambi Climate also pays attention to the situations in which manual controls are used to learn more about the user and better predict the temperatures he or she wants their home to have. By adjusting automatically, Ambi Climate not only find the perfect A/C setting, but also saves on energy bills. Ambi Labs has set its goal at $25,000. Buyers will feel the perfect indoor climate for $99 in time for the 2015 summer.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

Moobitalk takes a low-tech approach to allow hands-free car conversations

Cell phone usage while driving is not only dangerous, but illegal in most states. Many people, however, must suffer a long commute to work and simply can’t remain silent during the whole ride, whether they’re talking to work or their families. Moobitalk seeks to give commuters a way to take on the phone hands-free. It attaches to the seatbelt once it is already fastened. Then, when a call comes in, simply hit speaker phone and attach the phone’s screen to Moobitalk. It uses micro-suction technology to keep the phone in place without damaging the screen. Backers can nab the Swedish-made Moobitalk for £18 (~$29) with an estimated delivery date of December 2014. The hands-free device is hoping to raise £34,000 (~$54,000) on Kickstarter.

Moobitalk is a good idea, but executed poorly. Like many other car-centric devices, GPS’s and DVD players included, Moobitalk requires some setting up before use. So, while the driver is talking there are no hands being used, an incoming call still requires some set up. An ear-attached hands-free device that only requires the push of a button for picking and hanging up calls may be more safe for chatty drivers on the road. In addition, many newer cars come equipped with built-in Bluetooth technology, meaning that pretty soon most hands-free devices will be deemed unnecessary.

Categories
Cooking

Trivae shifts from holding pot lids to plates with aplomb

Open flames, piping hot pots and pans, and never enough room — kitchens can certainly be a taxing environment, and cooking in one can be a bit of a puzzle. With so many moving pieces floating around, you’re bound to get tied up with hands full while a pressing matter is vying for your attention. In an attempt to free up hands stuck in indecision, Trivae is a heat-resistant, cast iron lid holder and dual trivet that always gives you a place to put down random lids, plates, or pans. It makes the transition from kitchen assistant pretty well when you expand it out to serve as a presentation stand as well. Some smart design decisions were implemented into the design of the product, including a spine that curves away from whatever is on top in its flat layout, and non-slip rubber pads to avoid slippage. When you’re done, the product’s single trivet option also doubles as a way to conveniently store the product, addressing storage issues just like the Armadillo Colander does. A donation of $50 gets interested backers their very own Trivae in May of 2015. A $50,000 campaign goal is the only thing stopping Trivae from beginning production.

Categories
Furniture

ManBuffer is the center console your couch never had

Nothing is more disappointing during those times of relaxing than when the beer and munchies run out and one has to actually get up off the couch and go get more. So the creators of ManBuffer set out to change that. Their apparent mission in life is to find like-minded men who will take on the important life goal of a relaxation station for every American couch – well, okay, other countries can participate too. This center console holds two open cans or beer bottles, and it appears that it stores up to eight in the cooler section. It’s not clear what the measurements are for couch compatibility purposes, but it comes in multiple color choices to help keep the little lady happy. In order to make sure there’s enough room in the fridge for what doesn’t fit in the ManBuffer, backers might also want to check out the Bottleloft campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000 by November 11, 2014. Early bird backers can get theirs for $45, with an expected delivery of December 2014.

Categories
Sports

Alligator Arms gets players ready to catch the winning touchdown

Football is a game in which a variety of skills are not only required, but players are trained to a level where they’re practically second nature. In particular, there are a few aspects of pass receiving that are absolutely vital to get down. One of the most important skills is to avoid catching the ball with the body by extending the arms as far as possible. Although it sounds simple, the level of efficacy expected requires a lot time, discipline, and occasionally something to help nudge you down the right path. Alligator Arms aims to help budding pass receivers nurture solid fundamentals, compelling them to always extend their arms when engaging in the process of catching the pass. The product comes in the form of a belt worn around the waist that attaches to a user’s wrists with cords. It’s a simple, low-tech aid similar to the Shoot Natural Glove that, with enough use, seems like it can breed positive habits. Since the product was conceived at a fitness seminar, there must be some truth to the claim, although more analysis use would be necessary to see if it actually works over the long run. In the meantime, one Alligator Arms is going for $100 with an estimated delivery date of December 2014. The campaign is looking for $10,000 to help players everywhere.

Categories
Home

QuickRinse gives showers the power wash they crave

Cleaning the shower is one of the more dreaded household chores. But what if one had a cleaning business? That was the very thing that inspired two savvy business women to create QuickRinse. Cleaning a dirty shower looks like a whole lot less hassle because of QuickRinse’s funnel-shaped bag that is designed to fit over most shower heads. It’s made of a durable 10 ounce vinyl material and is ultrasonically welded around the seams and hose adapter. It also has an extra long, double-sided Velcro strap and rubber hose to prevent kinking and bend memory. While it may still be necessary to do some scrubbing, rinsing does appear to make the job easier. Backers may also be interested to know that this particular campaign helps women trapped in a domestic violence situation to gain their freedom because part of the proceeds will go toward The Boise Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA). This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 by November 1. For $50, backers get one product with an expected delivery of December 2014.

Categories
Automotive Sensors/IoT

Car Footprints plugs in to automatically calculate deductible miles

Ask anyone that’s ever had to log their mileage for tax deductions and they’ll all say the same thing: the numbers they put on their taxes are usually just best estimations. Is it possible to protect oneself from an audit and still get the maximum deduction back?

With Car Footprints, it’s easy to get an accurate, easy mileage log for tax season. Connecting directly to the car’s ODB port, Car Footprints communicates via smartphone from the car to a service that tracks and logs all mileage driven to make calculating deductions even easier. Any driving for medical, business, or charity purposes can be deducted, adding up to an average of thousands of dollars per year.

Without using GPS services, Car Footprints is secure and doesn’t report any information other than mileage. Turning a step predicated on meticulous bookkeeping or pure guesswork and making it automatic will save professionals both time and money. The Car Footprints tracker and three months of service is available starting in March for $47, if inventor Ney Torres can raise $35,000.

Car Footprints may be a niche product only for those who deduct their driving miles, but for eliminating the headache tracking those miles creates, it should be a must-own product for those groups.

Categories
Personal Transportation

Pigeon folding scooter rests on your shoulder

There’s always a caveat to the type of transportation you choose to reduce the length of your commute. With a car, there’s inevitably traffic. Most people opt for public transport to avoid this, but the problem lies in most stops not being close to home. You could cut down walk time by riding an electric scooter there, but then you’re forced to leave it. Likewise, bicycles make you the target of combined commuter hatred at the height of rush hour. Push scooters offer a great balance between the two, but can weigh a lot. PIGEON is a foldable push scooter designed to improve your commute. Consisting of just three parts made from aluminum and wood, the PIGEON can be folded into a thin profile with a single foot press and slung over the shoulder. Even if the price is bit bloated considering the materials, the portability of this product separates it from others like the ion Smartscooter or the Me-Mover that may offer the same, but still weigh a ton while doing so. Backers can expect their own in May 2015 for £135 (~$216). PIGEON hopes to raise a modest £2,000 (~$3,200) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Connected Objects Lighting Music

Playbulb is a connected light that plays music

Music is something everyone can enjoy privately, but all it takes is the right lighting to make it perfect for any party.

PLAYBULB color is another combination smart lightbulb and wireless speaker, offering multiple configurations of light shows, a spectrum of colors, and thumping sound to turn any room into a party room. Using Bluetooth 4.0, PLAYBULB color supports modern iOS and Android devices firmwares, and can also update its own firmware to allow for new features.

With a range of 30 feet, PLAYBULB color streams music from any smartphone or tablet and can change color on the fly or even every time a phone has been shaken, to create personal choreographed light shows. The PLAYBULB color can also be set up in any E26 or E27 lamp to stream ambient light and music for sleeping or as a wake-up alarm. Developer MIPOW only needs $10,000 to bring these bulbs to shelves, and backers can install one for $49 in January.

PLAYBULB color is neither the most innovative product on the market nor the most practical, as colored light often does very little illumination. That being said, it’s a great addition to any dorm room, bedroom, or any room where ambience is key.

Categories
Food and Beverage

Silicon Lids greet your bowls with a cover-up

Ever wonder if the lids for kitchen storage containers sprout legs and run away? Foil and plastic wrap can take their place, but they don’t lock in freshness and keep the refrigerator nearly as organized as a container that has a lid. So, the makers of Silicon Lids are offering an alternative that makes for an airtight seal, and can go from the freezer to microwave, or refrigerator to oven. The lids are heat resistant up to 460 degrees Fahrenheit, have a unique design to the eye, and an easy-to-grasp handle. There are also multiple sizes and colors from which to choose. And when it’s time to clean off that caked-on food from pots, pans and bowls, backers might also be glad to have KlampShell to make the scouring a little easier.  This campaign seeks to raise $15,000 by November 18, 2014. For $15, backers get four lids that are four inches each. Expected delivery is December 2014.