analytics – Backerjack

FaceCare cuts down on dry scare with healthy analytics

The Premise. Healthy skin is essential for looking young. Skin needs to be hydrated in order to stay taut and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It’s difficult to know when to moisturize and sometimes really dry skin is the only indication. When your skin is dry, what are the best ways to remedy it?

The Product. FaceCare is a device that scans your skin for moisture. The white wand is about the size of a Wii controller and is rubbed against the skin for analysis. It then communicates with your smartphone to deliver the analytics. The app shows you how moist your skin is on a scale of 1 to 5 water droplets and tells you when you need to moisturize.

The Pitch. The campaign video delivers what one would expect, lots of shots of a woman with already perfect skin using the product while smiling. For the remainder of the campaign, the creators include diagrams of the layers of skin along with close-up comparisons of dry versus moist skin. FaceCare is looking to raise $10,000 on Indiegogo.

The Perks. Backers looking to analyze their faces can get the FaceCare system for $20, which goes for a regular price of $29. Estimated delivery is currently set for February 2015.

The Potential. With any skin miracle product, it’s important to ask if it really works. FaceCare doesn’t promise complete skin rejuvenation, just valuable information as to how your skin is doing. The questions here are: How accurate is the data it provides? and Does it really tell us anything that we couldn’t figure out on our own? It’s pretty easy to tell how dry your skin is just by touching it. In addition, do we really have the time to analyze our pores on our smartphones when we’re getting ready in the morning? On the other hand, for facial enthusiasts or spa professionals, FaceCare may be an easy tool to gather helpful information.

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.