Tag: android

Categories
Technology

Mind4 puts Android into a drone

There’s no doubt about it at this point: drones will become as commonplace as the cars on the streets or planes in the sky. As the technology is become more and more available, people find out how they can fit drones into their lives. For the most part drones are a hobby but they still require a user’s full attention when controlling it. Airmind is making it so that controlling a drone will be as effortless as tapping a button.

Their product, the Mind4, is a souped-up, Android-based aerial drone equipped with an HD camera and quad core 2GHz processor. Airmind claims that this is the fastest processor on any drone on the market, which is good because it lets it utilize their proprietary tracking software to the fullest extent instead of relying on an error prone GPS. Its standard smartphone tracking app allows users to highlight subjects of interest to focus on, while six other apps are specifically tailored to certain activities like surfing or cycling.

One of the Mind4’s biggest draws is its gesture recognition ability. One hand up in the air will tell it to come closer, two hands will prompt it to take a photo, while pointing down will command it to land, all of which will keep users focused on the activity at hand. And being that the drone can accept GoPro and other cameras, users have a lot of choice as to how they want to shoot their footage. A backing of $899 will go towards a Mind4 with an estimated delivery date of September 2015. The campaign is looking to raise $100,000.

The Mind4 is sort of the Mercedes of drones in terms of technology. That 2GHz processor is nothing to be scoffed at, and while other drones like Anura don’t necessarily compare, they do offer something slightly different. The problem with all these drones, though, is their absolutely terrible battery life. What’s the point of buying something like this if users can only use it for 15 minutes of their ski run? Until battery life gets far better, there really can be no use for a drone of this size and power.

Categories
Connected Objects Sleep

Hush smart earplugs offer tranquil sounds, noise masking

After a long day’s work, most people want to just lay in bed while the silence and calm of the room around them take them off to slumberland. However, for many people around the world, this scene itself is a dream and almost impossible to experience. College students in hectic environments long for the same type of restorative sleep business travelers do, but unfortunately none of them get what they want. People in these situations usually opt for earplugs or noise canceling headphones, but most don’t work after a while or are just plain uncomfortable.

Hush manages to combine sound eliminating foam with noise masking sounds like white noise or a soothing waterfall, avoiding the use of noise canceling technology that can eventually become a problem itself. The earplugs have gone through much tweaking to ensure they are ergonomical, and side sleepers will especially enjoy the padded insides that make the product easy on the ear canals. One of its most important features is that it still keeps users informed as Hush connects to your iOS or Android smartphone and therefore to their most important contacts. With that, users can always have the option of catching some shuteye no matter where they are without sacrificing alertness. Unfortunately, it’ll be another rechargeable device that needs added to the roster.

From what it seems, the team behind Hush has a winner on their hands. Their attractive design and future potential as a study or therapeutic aide points to a bright future. Backers who plunk down $115 for it, though, need to be weary of potential shipping issues they bring up in their $100,000 campaign. If all goes well, they can expect it on their doorsteps by June 2015.

Categories
Smart Home

Aquanta smart water heater controller quantifies savings

Many Americans are quick to turn off the lights or the air conditioner in an effort to save money on energy bills, but not many think about their water heaters as a culprit. As the second leading consumer of energy in most homes, the water tank is oddly left out of advice found on morning news segments and in About.com articles. With the rising trend in home automation pretty much everywhere, Sunnovations has taken the water heater to task with Aquanta.

The Aquanta is a smart water heater controller that works over Wi-Fi and instantly raises the IQ of the water heater in most people’s basements. The product is able to learn the usage patterns of the tank in question and use the resulting information to automatically control its heating element to best use energy. The option for users to do it themselves is also available as well, an attractive route considering the level of information its companion app provides about every aspect of a home’s energy usage along with the suggestions it offers too. The app also alerts users to malfunctions and leaks to prevent them from getting out of hand. The $99 Aquanta will be on backer’s doorsteps by July 2015 provided Sunnovations meets their $75,000 goal.

The Aquanta is a very polished smart water heater controller when compared to another, more low-tech option in the Jul Bujh. However, its installation is somewhat involved and the product doesn’t work with older, mechanical models of water heaters that may be in the minority but are still owned by many. In that way, the Aquanta is a little too smart, but ultimately a solid option for those with whom this is a good fit.

Categories
Lighting Smart Home

BeON deterrent lighting system allows you to be on alert 24/7

Home security has seen a resurgence in the past few years thanks to how easy it has become to install and use smartphone and tablet-based systems. As such, the ubiquity of low-cost hardware and Bluetooth connectivity along with smart devices have made home monitoring a largely automated experience that relies on video and motion sensing to set off alarms. As effective as these approaches are, most companies have forgotten that deterrence is the first line of defense in protecting the home, an idea the BeON burglary deterrent system is based on.

The one thing common to every household is the humble lightbulb, maybe a little bit too humble. The BeON system takes lightbulbs to task injecting them with smarts that allow a combination of Bluetooth LE, microphone, sound processor, and rechargeable battery to protect your home. The BeON bulbs installs like standard bulbs and simulate a full home when users are gone by learning lighting habits over time. Constantly shifting lights give off the impression of an occupied, so burglars will think twice before trying to break in. Doorbells also activate the lights when users aren’t in, making it seem like someone is stirring within.

Its four-hour backup battery inside allow its lighting and security features to work through a power outage and that, along with its 20 year battery life, ensures a user’s peace of mind. The companion iOS and Android app will also let users enable Away mode, set lighting patterns, or teach BeON to hear their doorbell, all while still softly lighting a home with 60W of power. A three pack of BeON lightbulbs goes for $229 and is expected to ship in April 2015. The campaign is looking for $100,000 to make it happen.

A connected lightbulb isn’t anything new, but the BeON does far more than others like the AirBulb or even Philips Hue. Its modular nature will eventually allow users to add on functionality, which extends its utility. That said, it is pretty wasteful to randomly turn on lights but that won’t be a convincing point for those who treasure their security.

 

Categories
Smart Home

The Room Central Bluetooth controller keeps the temperature just right

The more ubiquitous Bluetooth technology becomes, the more the disparate elements in people’s lives are united so as to be easily controlled. Things all around and outside the home used to be governed by mechanisms needing physical action, but now can be adjusted with simple taps of a button. This technology, along with the sensors that work in tandem with it, allow users a level of control previously unfamiliar.

A good example of that is the Room Central Bluetooth controller. It connects to heaters, coolers, or anything with a mechanical heating or cooling controls (like greenhouses or rice cookers) and relays temperature information to an iOS or Android smartphone. Its companion app allows for scheduling and remote control from up to 25 feet and imparts lots of smarts on previously dumb items in the home. An LED display on the unit itself ensures users won’t need to unlock your phone every time they need to check on temperature, too. The Room Central controller goes for $100 and is expected in March 2015 provided the campaign reaches its $64,900 goal.

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness Lighting

Sunn smart LED fixture fights off winter blues

It’s been proven that natural light is key in maintaining the body’s internal clock. Unfortunately, most people don’t get the exposure necessary to keep their internal rhythms in check, which can lead to a myriad of physical and psychological health issues. The team behind the Sunn is looking to bring the sun indoors to address the issue.

The product is a smart LED light fixture that replicates the rhythm of the sun, bathing any room in a person’s home with diffuse light of gradual strengths throughout the day. Sunn gradually brightens to gently waken users in the morning, produces cool, white colors to stimulate focus and productivity during the afternoon, the lights wind down to during sunset, and at night Sunn glows warm like the embers of a fire, a natural indicator it’s time to go to bed.

A companion app places total control of Sunn in a user’s hands, and can be used to sync the light to a location, change lighting conditions, or set alarms using gradual light. It can also be used with Philips Hue and LIFX lighting, as well. The science to support a product like this is there, so the idea definitely warrants a backing. The standard 19-inch Sunn is $289, and the 24-inch Sunn Plus is $349. Backers can expect the Sunn in April 2015 provided the campaign reaches its $50,000 goal.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Connected Objects

HIRO connected tag swoops down and rescues your lost things

Bluetooth tags or tiles that help people find their things are a dime a dozen nowadays. They come in an extremely small portable form and usually connect via Bluetooth or GPS in order to lead distracted denizens back to their misplaced goods.

The HIRO is another one of these devices that essentially fits the mold of most Bluetooth trackers, offering iOS and Android compatibility along with the option of using a loud buzzer to help find things in piles of clothing, for example. A proximity sensor works to inform users about HIRO’s Bluetooth signal range of 200ft. While it’s not as good as having full GPS support, packing these features in its extremely diminutive size is impressive. The HIRO Bluetooth tag can be had with a $10 backing, and is expected to ship in February 2015 provided the campaign reaches it $5,200 goal.

The HIRO doesn’t offer anything out the ordinary when compare to similar tags like Tile, TrackR, or FIND 2.0. What it does offer interested parties is a break in price, something anyone can agree with.

Categories
Imaging

Lume Cube portable flash brightens up your selfie, illuminates environment

Those who love high quality photography are moving farther away from cameras and simply relying upon their smartphones for a great shot. The smartphone camera has come a long way, providing folks with control over focus, exposure, filters and more. However, there are still a few key ways these phone cameras lag behind digital or film cameras.

Lume Cube provides the kind of light that’s hard to find when using a smartphone camera. Each cube is 1.5” and provides up to 1,500 lumens. With a strong magnet on the back and powerful suction cup, each cube can be mounted at least somewhere for the perfect shot. Or use the tripod it comes with to stand it up. Boasting two hours of battery life and no recycle in between flashes, Lume Cube can easily be used for continuous use.

Best of all, though, is the fact that these cubes sync up via Bluetooth to any iPhone or Android with its accompanying app. The app allows up to five Lume Cubes to be used at once. It also allows for dimming and either sporadic flash for photo taking or a continual flash for videos. Last, but not least, each cube is encased in waterproof silicone making it durable for wherever a photograph may need to be taken.

The campaign does a fantastic job of showing backers just how powerful this light can be, with some nighttime action shots and a before and after selfie. Lume Cube clearly delivers what it boasts. The only drawback is that they’re a bit bulky. If its creators can flatten these cubes out so that they’re less, well, cube-y, then they’d be much more portable which is the whole point of shooting with a smartphone. Backers can have one for $59 by February 2015. Lume Cube is looking to raise $56,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Kids/Babies Smartwatches/Bands

Jumpy jumps beyond the tracker with a kids’ smartwatch

The new generation of toys is far different than anything previous generations have experienced. Sporting LCD screens and wireless connectivity, these toys offer connected environments where children can interact not only with the objects around them but with other children as opposed to staring into a pixelated abyss all day.

Jumpy is another one of those toys, coming in the form of a Android-based, Bluetooth-enabled smartwatch for children. With it, children can stay connected with their parents through Wi-Fi and send messages, play games with the device as a controller for tablet games and connected toys, and stay on top of events like waking up for school with the friendly dog avatar. An open SDK makes Jumpy an constantly evolving platform so new ideas will transform it into something new. A set of Jumpy can be had with a $99 backing, due to be shipped March 2015. The campaign is looking for $100,000 to make that happen.

Parents can keep on top of their children’s whereabouts with the included activity tracker but since the device lacks GPS connectivity, it won’t do much good should the child wander off too far. The absence of multi-lingual support and battery life claims make this a bit suspect, too. If a company is introducing a platform like this, they have to make it worth it and truly push kids to do more, like the Hybrid Play. If not, it’ll be another toy thrown to the side pretty quickly.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Tablet Accessories

Harrier Cable loops in multiple USB data modes

While most of us are perfectly OK with the capabilities of our Android smartphones and tablets, there is a very vocal minority who continually clamor for more openness and connectivity. As a platform, Android performs admirably in this respect and makes sure to offer users the ability to do so. Problem is, users may need special connection solutions to use keyboards and mice with their device, for example.

The Harrier Cable is an extremely low-cost option to both charge your device while giving you the option to also use keyboards, mice, printer, and even game controllers with your smart device. The cable also supports the option of charging multiple devices with one power socket as each cable can connect to each other.

All in all, this product is extremely niche and seems like something you’d see in one of those markets full of all kinds of technology knick knacks rather than something a tad more serious. Again, it is only going for $12, so it is a price point that may be subject to an impulse purchase. The Harrier Cable will be available by the end of this year provided the campaign reaches their modest $1,000 goal.