Tag: android

Categories
Sensors/IoT

CliMate are tiny environmental sensors for anywhere monitoring

The Premise. The environment is something that should always be appreciated and enjoyed, but sometimes conditions are too dangerous. Whether it’s ultraviolet rays damaging skin or indoor humidity posing a risk to valuable collectibles, a reliable way of knowing the conditions at any time and location is a powerful tool to have.

The Product. CliMate is a tiny environmental sensor that can be set anywhere or clipped to clothing or belongings that provides constant monitoring of humidity, temperature, and ultraviolet index. From there, CliMate sends this data to any iOS or Android device and provide reminders based on certain thresholds to avoid severe weather or even reapply sunscreen based on skin tone data and SPF rating. CliMate also has a button on its face that can serve as a remote for a phone’s camera or a locator that will cause the phone to sound an alarm. CliMate users can provide their data through the app to WeatherBook, which will show other the readings from other CliMates nearby to get a feel for local weather patterns.

The Pitch. Rooti, the company behind CliMate, passionately describes how its device provides more necessary information than other environment trackers on the market. Their video shows the device in action in a variety of settings, from the indoor display case to the camping tent in the wild. That kind of flexibility is exactly what CliMate offers to become the go-to environment tracker on the market. Rooti is looking for $50,000 for mass production.

The Perks. CliMate is available for $39, complete with color choice, stand, and lanyard. Higher reward tiers include Kickstarter-exclusive color schemes and multiple CliMate devices. The product expects to launch in September.

The Potential. Looking at CliMate itself, it’s not obvious what it does. Watching the campaign video, it becomes clearer before getting somewhat confusing again. Rooti will want to narrow down its communication a bit and make sure people know exactly what CliMate is capable of. The feature set is fairly limited but certainly seems good at what it does, but some of the other abilities seem tacked on. It’s always nice to have a phone-finding device but it seems out of place here, and the crowdsourced weather map seems unhelpful when there’s a device designed to give the precise data of a current location. CliMate will likely need to function above its promises in order to prove successful.

Categories
Connected Objects Food and Beverage Health and Wellness

Wellscale connects with your smartphone for a portable food scale that’s weigh out there

The Premise. Eating healthily is difficult. Going out for meals is especially hard because portions have gotten out of control in the US. Counting calories and pouring over nutrition books is hard to do and completely inconvenient for those on the go. Food scales are a nice solution, but can really only be used at home. 

The Product. Wellscale is a small portable smart scale that lets you weight what you’re eating discretely. It connects to an iOS and Android friendly app that allows you to track your foods, weight and general nutrition. The app comes with a built-in advisor that can look at your food intake and make suggestions to cut down on certain items. The scale itself is so small that it can fit into your pocket.

The Pitch. The campaign video features the lovely Portuguese creator talking about his product. He shows how the scale can sit below a plate and measure each food item’s nutrition during a meal. A kitten also shows up, eating food off of the scale so that the viewer can see how sensitive the scale is as it changes while the cat eats. Wellscale hopes to raise $37,000 in a  month-long Indiegogo campaign.

The Perks. Early healthy birds can get the Wellscale for $65 or $85 at a regular price. Tiers climb from there offering bundles of the product all the way up to $7,650. All tiers have an estimated delivery date of December 2014.

The Potential. Nutrition and health is always on our minds. Whether we do anything about it depends a lot on convenience and connectivity. Wellscale is quite similar to the Smart Food Scale that had a successful Kickstarter campaign a year ago. While the two are comparable in capabilities, the Wellscale app is also Android friendly which the Smart Food Scale lacked. In addition, it’s much smaller and portable which really sets it apart. Again, convenience is hard to pass up and its portability gives it a great chance of success on the market.

Categories
Input Tech Accessories

Zmartframe has the magic touch to transform monitors into touch PCs

zmartframeWith tablets quickly becoming common devices that consumers own, the clunky keyboard-and-mouse input of desktop machines is beginning to feel obsolete. Zmartframe is a device that offers two-point multitouch on any 19- or 22-inch monitor. The device straps onto the monitor and features an easily-calibrated Windows touch PC interface, but with the flick of a switch can also turn any monitor into a stand-alone Android PC. Devices like these have existed for some time now, but the actual functionality has been suspect, so it’s up to Zmartframe to really stick the execution on this one. Supporters can get their fingers on the basic Zmartframe in October 2014 for $260.

Categories
Smart Home

Soap cleans your home of extra devices with an Android tablet home hub

The Premise. A smart home control hub is great for giving access to all the connected devices in a house or apartment, but why shouldn’t the hub be able to do more than just give access? Why can’t it give control to devices, usage, security, or any other important aspect of a home network?

The Product. Soap is a powerful Android tablet that also doubles as a smart home hub and a full wireless router. Designed to over complete control over all connected devices in the home and the people who use them, Soap is built with functionality, security, and complete control in mind.

The Pitch. Soap’s campaign video is a bit of an understatement when it comes to the kind of flexible power the device actually offers. The video shows the device mostly as a control for connected amenities and accessories, but downplays Soap’s qualities as a fully-featured Android tablet or its ability to work with other Soap devices, something that really sets this device apart from others. Soap is raising $42,500 to complete testing and begin production. The campaign is also implementing an incentive scheme that allows backers to accrue credits toward a free product by sharing links with a personal code.

The Perks. The basic Soap Solo is available to backers who pledge $240. For $5 more, the device will be delivered two months earlier. (December 2014 compared to February 2015) At $250, a beta Soap Solo will be sent out in October. The Soap Dual, with a dual core processor is available at $280 (beta at $350), the quad-core Soap Quad starts at $360, and the Soap 8.4 with a larger 8.4 inch display and a quad-core processor starts at $500, with the beta version at $550. Higher tiers include multiple devices for setting up a whole home or more, with the highest tier coming with a boggling 100 Soap units.

The Potential. Soap seems like a great way to really integrate the wireless router, smart home hub, and control center into one neat, portable package. What keeps Soap from being redundant in both the tablet and smart hub markets is that it fully functions as both, simultaneously even. The processing power and ability for Soap units to create a more powerful mesh network when used in tandem allow for something that works as a great in-home tablet for watching movies, listening to music, or being productive providing you don’t move it from its fixed location. However, it just as easily lets you move that content around across other devices while simultaneously allowing users to turn off lights, change the thermostat, or notify kids to get ready for bed without interrupting usage. Soap may just be blending two great technological tastes into one concoction, but it’s doing so with the necessary horsepower to not cut any corners.

Categories
Accents Home

Aquarius is the dawning of the age of automatic plant watering

The Premise. Every house or apartment feels more like a home when it includes houseplants. However, like any living thing, plants need to be cared for, fed, and watered. Needing to leave for business or vacation means finding a way to have plants cared for.

The Product. Aquarius is an adjustable watering system for plants that can be controlled while away from the home. The bland, cubic waterproof base holds the water needed for a potted plant that rests on top of the base. Then the adjustable nozzle points down into the pot and with the push of a smartphone touch screen or by assigning it to a schedule, the Aquarius gives plants the water they need automatically.

The Pitch. The sight of a woman sobbing after her plant dying and the phrase “ruin vacations” are both used in the campaign video in relation to plants withering from dehydration to great melodramatic effect. The product itself looks great as it waters plants of all sizes, and the app looks easy to use as well. The campaign combines attractive houseplants with the sleek design of the product itself. Aquarius inventor Gleb Kudryavtcev needs $30,000 to bring the Aquarius to the masses in terms of production and manufacturing. Stretch goals will be available after reaching the main goal for solar power, making it an entirely autonomous device.

The Perks. A single Aquarius will cost backers $65. The Aquarius Duo, which will allow owners to connect the devices together and water two plants, is available for $85. The Aquarius Quatro, which one can easily deduce will water four plants, can be had for $100. Eight- and 16-plant sets are also available, with each set of four able to exist in a different location. All watering devices will ship out in February 2015.

The Potential. While there are already plenty of ways to ration water to plants while on vacation, this may be one of the first that can be controlled using a phone or tablet. The design is more concerned with function over form, and seems to work great, while leaving a little something wanting in the looks department. At the end of the day, for people who want to keep their plants happy and healthy, the Aquarius is a great option to consider. Others who may not be as prone to breaking out into tears at the possibility of a dead houseplant may not be so compelled to pull the trigger on this product.

Categories
Sensors/IoT Smart Home

Sentri serves as a homeowner’s eyes, ears, hands, and air quality monitor

The Premise. Every smart home needs a hub to control everything, right? It feels like there are getting to be as many varieties of smart home controllers as there are homes themselves, but that isn’t keeping the market from deviating one way or another.

The Product. Sentri is a device capable of controlling a home either locally or through a smartphone app. From climate control to locking doors, if the components are compatible, Sentri can handle it. What makes Sentri unique is the addition of a camera that allows users to view their home live in real-time but also interact via video call with people in the home, which can be great for short updates, changing plans, or just easily letting the family know to get ready to head out to dinner upon arriving in the neighborhood.

The Pitch. In all aspects of the campaign, Sentri pitches its product through two key ideas: Sentri connects users to their home more directly than any other product through its camera, and it’s easy to set up because it only requires to be turned on and connected to a Wi-Fi network. Sentri wants to raise $200,000 to move the device into the tooling and production phases for mass distribution.

The Perks. A Sentri system can be picked up for $199 and will be delivered in May 2015. Differently colored models start at $269, with engraving as an option at $299. The tiers include several options for further customization of both style and quantity, with the next unique option coming in at the $2,000 level, where backers can sign up to be  an alpha user and receive a PVT version of Sentri, also expected to ship in May 2015.

The Potential. At the rate these devices are being proposed and marketed, it seems like the safest bet might be to wait until competitors are done layering features on top of one another. What makes the Sentri unique is the use of a camera that can be used for communication or security monitoring, which is a pretty great idea for making last-minute changes to the shopping list or checking in on pets, children, or anyone else. As that seems to be the only difference between Sentri and other smart home units, it isn’t so farfetched to see this unique quality become standard among all the others in a matter of months, if not weeks. It’s a great-looking device, but the market is becoming so saturated at this point that something has to give.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands Wearables

Glance hugs a watch’s band to deliver inconspicuous intelligence

The Premise. Smartwatches are the go-to gadget for 2014, it seems. Big companies are starting to jump in, people are already buying them, and they are bringing out the most of other connected gadgets in a way that is convenient and easy to use.

The Product. At first glance, the Glance is a sort of fake-it-until-you-make-it smart watch. The device hugs the band of any wristwatch and offers a display that can show text messages word by word or identify someone calling so that a conversation doesn’t need to be interrupted unless truly necessary. However, the Glance has even more functionality under the surface, sending out auto-texts when a response is warranted but can’t be typed out at the moment, controlling other smart devices with simple gestures, and even locate a missing phone by calling it automatically.

The Pitch. Keeping it short and sweet, Glance Team shows off all of the device’s key features in a brief video that confidently sells Glance as more than a discount novelty smartwatch alternative. Some other features, including that Glance is waterproof, are touched on later on in the campaign materials alongside the technical specifications and hardware details. Glance Team wants to raise $150,000 CAD in order to finalize all of the designing and manufacturing. Stretch goals are available: At $300,000 CAD, the option to engrave a message on the Glance will be unlocked. At $500,000 CAD, Windows Mobile and Blackberry compatibility will be added on top of the existing iOS and Android functionality, and at $750,000 CAD, a microphone and speaker will be added to every Glance.

The Perks. A Glance is available for $70 CAD and should arrive to backers in October of this year. An advance version is available in September for $700 CAD and a stylish sterling silver edition is available at the end of the year for $1,000 CAD.

The Potential. As an entry point into the smartwatch market, Glance will suffice for some people. It offers a surprising number of features but still isn’t quite as fully-fleshed out as a typical smartwatch might be. It is, however, still a cost-effective solution for calls and texts, and the auto-text feature is great for those that can’t always pick up a phone and send a text out right that minute for whatever reason. It’s a simple concept that looks right at home around the standard watchband, but as the competition begins to become less expensive, the temptation of an upgrade may steer consumers away from Glance.

Categories
Tech Accessories

CosmoKey keeps your data safe with two-factor authentication

The Premise. Security is a massive concern with cyber-attacks on the rise and more and more logins and passwords required by every application and site out there.

The Product. The CosmoKey provides safe, secure two-factor authorization through the CosmoKey app which allows users to login to any of their favorite sites and then press the button on the palm-sized hardware token to authenticate their credentials in a way that keyloggers or other malware can not penetrate.

The Pitch. The introductory video for the CosmoKey doesn’t do the best job of explaining exactly how the hardware side of the CosmoKey works or how one sets up the device. The campaign page does a little better explaining the process with which one uses a CosmoKey and where it might come in handy, but still leaves some details cloudy. CosmoKey Ltd. has set £25,000 as their fundraising goal to complete testing of the hardware token and make the device even more secure. Stretch goals are in place to make the API completely open once funding is reached and another unlocking the CosmoKey Vault which will provide correct logins for any stored site at £100,000.

The Perks. A £50 pledge gives users access to the CosmoKey app for either iOS or Android with 2 years of paid service starting in September. The authenticator token hardware is available at the £150 level, and will be sent out to backers in November of this year. The Maker’s Edition comes out early (in August) with the most recently available version and grants access to the API to enhance the functionality of the device, with 1 year of service included. For those that want to make CosmoKey a part of their business server security, the VPN server with one hardware token is available with a year of remote service for £1,000.

The Potential. Two-factor authentication is a great way to be more safe, but a device like this just complicates matters further. Picture a situation in which the CosmoKey is lost or left at home: now the user is locked out from accessing any site they need to get into that they’ve set up through the device. With other forms of biometric scanners becoming more readily available, having a portable device that needs to be brought along with any computer, tablet, or phone just makes the whole process much more cumbersome than it needs to be, even in matters of protecting and securing data. It’s a good idea, just poorly executed.

Categories
Smart Home

Sensibo is a smart A/C remote that knows how to be cool

The Premise. In a perfect world, everyone would live in a smart, connected home that could be managed on the go and would conserve energy and cut costs. Of course, not everyone has the money to replace all of their furnishings and appliances with smart ones, but what if old ones like air conditioners could be upgraded?

The Product. Sensibo is a smart climate control system that attaches effortlessly to any air conditioning unit that is already operated by a remote. Comprised of a hub and small handheld pods that connect to the A/C units themselves, Sensibo just needs to be stuck to the surface of the air conditioner before controlling the device smartly through any smartphone, tablet, or even Pebble. The Sensibo can be programmed to change the temperature at certain times automatically or it can be adjusted through the phone in order to cut utility costs or be more responsible with energy usage.

The Pitch.  Sensibo’s campaign video is one of the most professional, entertaining, and hilarious videos in crowdfunding history. The technical specs of the device are mostly glossed over, but the sell job is extremely effective and should be effective in getting the pledges in. Anybody who wants to know more about how the device works internally can check out the rest of the campaign page for plenty of technical specifications and compartments that explain how Sensibo does what it does. Sensibo has set a goal of $70,000 to purchase components, begin tooling, and get all proper certifications.

The Perks. A Sensibo smart hub and one pod designed to control one room or a central air conditioner can be picked up for $79 and will be out in January 2015. Sensibo can be purchased in additional colors for $219, and developers who want to get more out of the device can get access to the API for $399.

The Potential. There isn’t a lot differentiating the Sensibo from devices like the tado°, but the Sensibo does seem to be marginally easier to uninstall and relocate as necessary. Like the tado°, the Sensibo will work with any remote-controlled air conditioner unit, and that’s a great sell for a device like this. If more of these fast-upgrade kits were available, the smart home revolution would certainly be taking off much more quickly.

Categories
Connected Objects Tech Accessories

iPod-like PPrintee drives around page to print on the go

The Premise. The printer has resisted the march of technology fairly well. The bulky, heavy devices have remained so as everything becomes mobile, and their feature set hasn’t changed much in the last twenty years. It’s time the printer made the jump into the smart age.

The Product. The PPrintee is a mobile printer that looks a bit like an original-model iPod and is just as pocket-friendly. With a display that can manage print jobs but also tell the latest news, weather, and social media updates while idle, the PPrintee is not just a one-trick pony. When it’s time to print, the PPrintee drives around the page determining the dimensions of the paper, and then drives around the page printing material at a rate of 1.5 pages per minute. If a job requires more than one page, PPrintee will even drive around looking for another piece of paper to print on or request that another paper be provided. Multiple PPrintees can even be synced together to complete a job more quickly. PPrintee is compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows devices and jobs can be sent to the printer through wifi or Bluetooth to begin printing right away. The PPrintee can even be steered through the app to provide a printed signature or special touch on any job.

The Pitch. PPrintee is so early in development that sadly any shots of the printer in action are CG simulations of what to expect from the device. Still, its flexibility and ability to handle more than just simple mobile printing are exciting enough to warrant further consideration. PPrintee wants to collect $330,000 in funds to continue engineering the product and bring it to the public.

The Perks. The basic black PPrintee printer is available for $249 and is expected to release in August 2015. The white and orange models cost slightly more, while limited aluminum, titanium, and rounded PPrintee designs are available starting at $299 to launch a month later.

The Potential. Mobile printing is not a new concept, and devices like the Pocket Printer are already looking to revolutionize the market. While the PPrintee lacks the robotic whimsy of the Pocket Printer, it makes up for it in spades in terms of additional features. From the interactive screen display to the app that can send print orders to the printer to the planned color printer/scanner PPrintee planned later, the PPrintee looks to be better choice. The wait for this device is long enough however that a major printer manufacturer may just beat it to market.