Categories
Aquatics Safety

Send sharks scurrying with the Sharkstopper

Sharkstopper

In places like South Africa, Mexico, and Hawaii, the pleasant experience of basking in the sun and surf is made unpleasant by the fear of shark attacks. The Sharkstopper wants to ensure open-water safety with an acoustically-based ankle device that repels sharks with the cries of their natural predator, the killer whale. The company eventually aims to market this technology to the commercial fishing industry to prevent the unnecessary deaths of sharks attracted by the big catches made by fishing rigs. For now, beach bums can protect themselves with their own in January 2015 for a cool $225, with the project’s creator looking to raise $48,000 by the end of the campaign.

Categories
Sensors/IoT

Heat Seek turns up the the heat up on lazy landlords

The Premise. Although New York City winters can’t compare to those further up the eastern seaboard, they still pack quite a punch. For those with poorly heated apartments, they can be downright brutal. Although avenues exist with which to report heating violations, they are often too unreliable to truly make a difference — literally leaving people out in the cold.

The Product. The team behind Heat Seek is proposing a tech-centric solution to reduce the inefficiency. The initiative uses a set of connected devices relaying temperature information back to a central hub in an Internet-connected apartment. (Only one hub is needed, reducing the barrier of entry for those without a connection.) All this information is then sent to a server where it can be accessed by tenants, advocates, and lawyers using a Web app.

The company hopes this information will allow timely resolutions to violations. Tenants coming home to a toasty apartment are not the only beneficiaries, though: Heatseek NYC wants to partner with responsible landlords to help them stay compliant by figuring out how best to avoid heat loss, maximize heating efficiency, and potentially save thousands. (How many responsible landlords there are in NYC remains to be seen.)

The Pitch. Their Kickstarter campaign has a lot going for it. Its simple and clear video tells the real story of a current NYC resident living in an improperly heated apartment. By telling her story and showing how the company’s sensors would help, the video presents a compelling issue and a solid call-to-action. Although the team is looking for $10,000 to begin manufacturing, it is ideally seeking $50,000 by campaign’s end to put 1,000 sensors in the hands of New Yorkers who need it most.

The Perks. You can gift a temperature hub for a New Yorker in need for $30, or pay $60 to do the same and receive one yourself. Conversely, you can gift a hub while receiving one yourself with a backing of $120 or more.  No matter what option you choose, every perk has an estimated delivery date of February 2015.

The Potential. Any serious attempt to revamp bureaucracy can be messy (here’s looking at you, health.gov.), but Heat Seek NYC’s solution to a persistent problem is simple, elegant, and easily applicable to a wide range of situations. Heat Seek has attracted a lot of attention via a back of a string of wins in app competitions However, it faces a long journey in the real world if it seeks to become a standard in New York or beyond.

Categories
Cooking Maker/Development

Candy 3D food printer is the sweetest printer ever

The Premise. Although the flexibility of 3D printing has birthed many novel ideas for the private and government sectors, it has ultimately proven to be cost-prohibitive for the consumer. This has slowed down the average person’s entry into this space, especially with regards to the many benefits promised by 3D-printed food.

The Product. Candy aims to be one of the first affordable 3D printers focused solely on food of the sweeter (and guiltier) kind. Candy uses dispensers filled with any semi-solid to create perfectly shaped cookies, flawless cake details, or a variety of other designs for both professional confectioners looking to save time and home bakers looking to impress. Its sleek fiberglass build capable of reading SD cards loaded with pre-made and custom designs fits into many kitchens.

The Pitch. London-based 3D Venture’s campaign video does a neat and tidy job of explaining how Candy works, showing off its confectionery talents in a variety of environments used by a variety of people. Simple and to the point, the accompanying material provides information about the device’s specs and and the risks involved with the campaign. The company is shooting for a goal of about $100,000 in order to begin mass production.

The Perks. With the majority of Candy printers shipping in April 2015 for $499 ($100 off the eventual retail model), those who can’t wait to satisfy their sweet tooth can score one a bit earlier in March 2015 for $799, along with two extruders. All perks give you the option of choosing any available color.

The Potential. Candy looks simple, clean, and effortless. While its printing quality is lower than that of higher-end 3D printers, it is making things that are ephemeral. The printer should find an early audience with chefs looking to add new and interesting designs to their cuisine. Candy costs half the price of another 3D food printer vying for your gastronomical attention. And at $499, Candy will be seen as a pretty sweet deal in a market still known for its exuberant prices.

 

Categories
Technology Writing

Lottery-picking Lucky Pen is a fat pen with fatter lies

Lucky penWould you like to win the lottery? Of course you would! Lucky Pen offers backers access to lucky numbers that will ensure they win! But how? That part isn’t readily available on the campaign, something about an algorithm, though it assures us that Lucky Pen really truly works. This fat pen should be used when writing on any lottery-type ticket. Reward tiers don’t offer the pen itself, but one does have the perk of wallpaper with the pen’s image printed on it. This Brazilian product is hoping to raise $40,000 on Indiegogo in 45 days, but it is unclear why the creator doesn’t just use the pen to win the lottery for extra funds.

Categories
Tech Accessories

Zcan cans the wires, scans as a wireless mouse

The Premise. In a world of hard copies and clutter, sometimes it can be tough to get organized. Scanners (and shredders) greatly contribute to the cleanliness cause, but are not very convenient for a population that is forever multitasking and constantly on the go.

The Product. Zcan is a small, portable scanner that doubles as a computer mouse. With a quick zigzag motion, you can scan all or parts of a document, image, or chart and using a Wi-Fi connection, instantly send to your laptop or tablet. Scan documents in another language and Zcan will use the Google Translate service to translate for you in up to 199 languages. Create searchable documents from the hard copies around your house, scan and directly edit tables or text, and back up important documents on the go.

The Pitch. A quick video demonstrates how seamlessly Zcan can work with your laptop or tablet. Different applications are discussed including scanning tables and text to edit them, planning a more customized trip itinerary, and sharing scanned content immediately to social media. The campaign is looking to raise $30,000 in one month’s time. Other information on the campaign page includes a demo of someone scanning information, the product development process, timeline and expected hurdles.

The Perks. Regular retail price of Zcan is estimated to be $160 according to the campaign site. Two categories of Early Birds will receive a Zcan wireless scanning mouse for either $79 or $99, depending on how early they really are. From there rewards escalate to $1,580 for the Wholesaler package of 20 Zcans at once.

The Potential. There have been several wireless scanner mouse products to launch in the recent months so Zcan will have to distinguish itself to stick around. Canon has a very similar product in the market today for $89, however Zcan’s ability to scan selected part of a document is unique. Other options like LG’s LSM-100 allow you to scan a specific portion of a page, but it is not a wireless option. Being simple and intuitive along with small, wireless and relatively inexpensive, the Zcan may just find its place in our soft-copy raging world.

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Table Air clears the air, tells its tale to your smartphone

Table AirThe air we breathe isn’t always super clean. It’s hard to know what’s in the air and how harmful it is to our health. Table Air is a portable air purifier that provides information about the contaminants we’re breathing. It hooks up via Wi-Fi to an app that produces data about pollutants. Table Air can be switched on or off to purify the air and the user can even adjust the air flow. One of these smart air purifiers will cost backers $95 with estimated delivery in November 2014. The Chinese Table Air hopes to raise $5,000 on Indiegogo.

Categories
Connected Objects Pets

Iota teams up with more of its kind to track anything

The Premise. Tagging something so that it won’t be lost can be done any number of ways, from something as simple to a tag with contact information to microchips and affixed GPS trackers. Now it’s time to know more than simply where something is; it’s time to know where it’s headed and what condition it’s in.

The Product. Iota is a small GPS tracker only slightly larger than a quarter that packs a lot of data processing power underneath its tiny hood. With the ability to be attached to any material, Iota can report the location of a pet, child, bicycle, or key ring. An alarm can be triggered through the Iota app in case it’s hiding in plain sight, and a variety of sensors can push notifications if something’s wrong. With an accelerometer and a temperature sensor, Iota can report if a dog needs to get out of the sun or can be put on a door frame to alert owners to someone entering their home. The Home Base attachment can be set up in a home and offers GPS tracking in four miles in every direction, and can also communicate with other Home Bases in the coverage area to cover even more ground.

The Pitch. Iota’s simple design aesthetic carries over into its pitch video, which chooses to demonstrate the different features of the device as opposed to being flashy or needlessly over-produced. The campaign itself covers the features of each of the unique profiles and how to set up an Iota more thoroughly to demonstrate how simple it is to keep track of the things that matter. Iotera, the maker of Iota, is looking to raise a whopping $250,000 to create molds, get the proper certifications, and go into production.

The Perks. An Iota with Home Base and accessories to attach it to any number of things can be picked up for $99 with a shipping date of January 2015. A second Iota tag is added to the package at the $169 level, and a third at $249. The tags and Home Bases continue to multiply as the reward tiers get more and more expensive.

The Potential. If Iota simply tracked, it would be easy to say that there are a number of other options that would do its job just as well, but because the device is flexible enough to be a pet monitor, a home security system, and more, Iota is an exciting prospect that deserves support, and once it hits the market, some lucky things may never go missing again.

Categories
Running Sensors/IoT Wearables

runScribe takes all the running data you need in stride

The Premise. Runners and joggers love to run and jog all the time. The only problem with this high-impact sport is the injuries that it can cause. These injuries tend to knock athletes off of their feet and they are unable to run for a period of time. It is unclear where these injuries come from and why they occur so frequently.

The Product. RunScribe is a small portable device that attaches to the back of your shoe via a cradle that works with all different kinds of sneakers. This device is worn during a run and, at the end, automatically uploads its data to your computer. Using its 9-axis kinematic sensor, the product measures 13 points of data including impact Gs, braking Gs, pronation velocity, pace, contact time and footstrike type. It runs on battery and uses Bluetooth to connect to the iOS and Android app as well as the computer. RunScribe is small and only about the size of pedometer.

The Pitch. RunScribe’s campaign video shows its creator discussing the drawbacks of running-induced injuries. He explains that with the metrics his product provides, a runner will be able to compare their stats with that of the average runner through the app. For example, he found that he was hitting the ground much harder than the average. In addition, he discusses the value of using runScribe to compare different types of sneakers. RunScribe is hoping to raise $50,000 in a month on Kickstarter.

The Perks. For $99, backers will receive the runScribe with limited metrics. At the $119 tier, backers get the runScribe and complete set of metrics at an early price as compared to the regular price of $139. Reward tiers reach up to $2,500 with estimated delivery set in November and December 2014. 

The Potential. Fitness devices are everywhere right now. Not literally, they’re not lying around in the streets, but there are a ton of options to choose from for any athlete looking for metrics about their performance. Most are more overarching like the Arcus ring, but runScribe offers a service that’s unique to runners. It lives on the foot instead of the wrist or finger to get the data that runners need. In addition, it provides baseline statistics on what other runners are experiencing. All in all, runScribe is an excellent option for runners who want to prevent injury and improve their stride.

Categories
Lighting Music

Epsuss uses lights to dance around in place

EpsussLights that dance around to music are always pleasing to the eye. They let the listener hear and see the music at the same time. Epsuss is one such LED light that moves to the rhythm of the music. It connects to several different devices and has different modes of lighting. This is a product for music lovers who can’t get enough of those speakers that show a song’s balance when playing. One Epsuss will cost backers €69 from Poland and comes in several different colors. This dancing light hopes to raise €1,200 in two months on Indiegogo.

Categories
Tech Accessories

StandStand ensures your laptop rises to any occasion

StandStandAmong those things we do all the time that are awful for our health, sitting is the new smoking. That’s why many sedentary office workers are finding new and interesting ways to avoid sitting all day. The StandStand offers one such solution in the form of a laptop riser. The wooden stand sits atop any desk or table making it possible to stand at your computer anywhere. While not completely revolutionary, StandStand provides the convenience that most standing desks fail to offer. One of these wooden stands costs backers $50 on Kickstarter with a $15,000 campaign goal.