Tag: android

Categories
Smart Home

tado° lets you keep your cool with your smartphone and air conditioner

The Premise. As summer approaches, homeowners everywhere are coming home to hot, sticky houses that take time to cool down. The alternative is leaving the air conditioner running all day, but that strategy requires spending more on utilities and isn’t environmentally conscious.

The Product. The tado° is a cooling system that can be controlled through an app, but will also power off the air conditioner when nobody is in the home and turn it on within a set proximity to make rooms nice and cool upon arrival. The system can be controlled from room to room as well, so that only enough cooling that is needed is used. The app is available for iOS and Android devices, and the tado° system is compatible with virtually any remote-controlled air conditioning system.

The Pitch. We learn about tado° through Harold and Lizzie, a couple who prove the axiom of opposites attracting. tado° helps keep their energy costs down while Lizzie is at work and Harold is out shopping, reading, and generally forgetting to turn the air conditioner off when he leaves. Because Tado, Inc. is already launched and experienced in climate control in Europe, their presentation is well-shot, attractive, and eye-catching. From explaining the app to listing the various brands of compatible air conditioners, almost any question about the tado° system is answered. Tado wants to raise $150,000 to

The Perks. A tado° system with app is available to backers who pledge at least $99 per unit. For those who have a uniquely colored room and want the tado° panel to match, color can be customized for $179. Developers who want to use the same technology behind the device for other purposes can get a developer kit for $299. All rewards will ship out in August 2014.

The Potential.  Similar systems are already rolling out for lighting and heaters, so air conditioners are a natural step. And while tado° may not be first to market, the sleek presentation, easily hidden sensor panel, and compatibility with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and infra-red make the tado° a solid choice for anyone wanting to come home to cool temperatures without having a massive power bill. The functionality is comparable to the Friedrich Kuhl or Quirky+GE Aros air conditioner, but part of the beauty of tado° is its compatibility with a wide variety of different brands of air conditioner, meaning a new system doesn’t need to be purchased and any brand loyalty can remain firmly in place.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Tech Accessories

MBLOK is a tiny cube of connected storage for mobile devices

The Premise. File storage is something one can never have enough of. Whether it’s for music on the go, apps, or taking extensive photos and videos, it’s important to know that running out of room is never a concern for any device.

The Product.  Fitting in the palm of a hand and offering up to 256GB of storage, the MBLOK is a portable storage device that can sync to any device using a traditional fold-out USB connection or via Bluetooth. The USB port is also used to charge the device’s 300-hour battery, while still allowing it to transfer files. Files can be moved at speeds up to 24 Mbit/s and can store any kind of files to be moved from phone to PC, or tablet to tablet, all wirelessly.

The Pitch. The MBLOK’s campaign mirrors the device itself: urban, fast-moving, stylish. The man-on-the-street interviews with people about the device paint a common picture of a device that is portable, useful, and attractive. MBLOK creators Kwelea Inc. are looking for $120,000 CAD to produce components and give the storage an interface for iOS and Android devices. Numerous stretch goals are offered to provide native audio and video output at $300,000, and official support for many more devices after that: $500,000 for Blackberry, $700,000 for Windows, $900,000 for the Pebble watch, $1,100,000 for Kindle Fire HD, and $1,300,000 for the Neptune watch. At $1,500,000, a final stretch goal is unlocked to create a smart shuffle algorithm for playing music through the MBLOK.

The Perks. A 128GB MBLOK is available in either emerald green or sapphire blue for $189 CAD.  The 256GB model will cost backers a pledge of $279 CAD. A stylish wood-faced model is only for those who kick in $499 CAD to the campaign. All rewards will ship out in January 2015.

The Potential. This is the natural evolution of the thumb drive — something pocket-sized that can easily share files between any USB or Bluetooth device without the need for complex bridges or file sharing setups. MBLOK isn’t the first to attempt this, with storage big shots like Kingston and Seagate offering the Wi-Drive and Wireless Plus devices in the market already, but MBLOK looks like the first to do so via Bluetooth, offering a week of battery life as opposed to the mere hours offered by the competition. Add to that the even smaller body and the MBLOK looks like a great way to move files around painlessly and easily across any compatible devices.

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Hi Pills reminds you to take your medicine

hipillsPills, prescriptions, and vitamins are all things often work best when taken on a regimen, either at certain intervals of the day or with meals. Still, the more there are to take, the easier it is to get confused or simply forget. Hi Pills is a pill dispenser box that connects to iOS or Android devices. It pushes an alert to the mobile device reminding users which pills to take and when. Additionally, an alert can be sent to that person’s caretaker if the pill box is not opened at that time, prompting follow-up care. Hi Pills and its app will launch in October 2014 for backers who pledge £59.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Groove learns your habits, keeps you motivated to workout

The Premise. The tech market has spoken, and people want devices that track their physical activity to motivate their workouts. Mobile devices work best when they do more than one thing, however, and so one company is rolling out wearable tech that does more than count burnt calories.

The Product. Groove is a hybrid smartwatch and fitness tracker. The device is worn just like a regular smartwatch, but also can schedule, track, and report workout data both personally and among fitness buddies. With the ActivLite band, notifications can pop up through an attractive light-up band so that owners don’t have to keep checking their watch as if impatiently waiting for something to happen. The Groove can monitor heart rate, observe sleep cycles, is waterproof, features voice commands, and is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

The Pitch. The image of the Groove is what you would expect from wearable fitness – clean, young, active, and lively. The video does a good job of showing off the different things the device is capable of, and the campaign’s pictures flesh those ideas out by comparing the Groove to seven other popular smart watches and fitness trackers. The team behind Groove want to raise $200,000 to complete the companion app, get Bluetooth certified, and handle the production and distribution of their product beyond the initial crowdfunding step.

The Perks. The Groove Watch is available with app and charger for $179. In addition to the basic black and white colors, an Indiegogo-exclusive gold variant is available for $249. Both rewards will ship in January 2015. For those who want to start meeting goals earlier, a beta version will be out in October for those that pledge $1,499. Those that want to custom the colors and finish of their watch can design their own for $2,499.

The Potential. By integrating smartwatch features, an attractive design, and social tracking and goal-oriented aspects like the Samsung Gear Fit, the Groove lets other people offer something to strive for when outside motivation is needed, and a reason not to take off the device when it feels like a lazy day. While it may not be the most unique in terms of design or style, it bridges two products that are beginning to heat up into one concise, effective package.

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness

PharmAssistant keeps patients taking their prescriptions on time

The Premise. When being prescribed medication that needs to be taken regularly, it can be easy to get distracted and forget to take it on time. Add to that special instructions or medications that shouldn’t be taken together and it becomes more than a matter of keeping an eye on the clock.

The Product. PharmAssistant is a solution for people who need reminders on when and how to take different medications. The technology behind PharmAssistant relies on two key components: a smartphone with the PharmAssistant app, and the SmartBottle with a Bluetooth cap alarm. After programming which medications need to be taken and how often into the app, the app will send a blinking light and sound alarm to the cap of the bottle of the medicine, which will continue to go off until the bottle is opened. Additionally, a monitoring service is available that will send an alert to a third party’s phone such as a family member to notify them if a dosage has been skipped. While this service will have a small monthly fee, the bottles will continue to work without a subscription.

The Pitch. Using an animated sales pitch, the PharmAssistant team provide a somewhat over-the-top look at how hard it can be to keep medications straight. Backing up their product with shocking statistics on medication-related deaths in the United States alone, PharmAssistant sticks to the facts, explaining very simply what the product offers for both patients, family members, and even pharmacists. PharmAssistant needs $20,000 to complete the app, test the product, and then begin production.

The Perks. All of the PharmAssistant SmartBottles are expected to be delivered in December of this year. They range in price from $60 for two to $135 for six, and each set comes with a free three month minimum sample of their monitoring service.

The Potential. The intentions of PharmAssistant are noble, trying to make it easy to remember to take medicine or supplements for people every day, but the execution here is lacking. With the exception of the alarms on the SmartBottles themselves or the monitoring service add-on, there’s nothing here that isn’t offered by a simple, first-party phone notification. Programming in the extra instructions and the kinds of medicine do little when without the SmartBottles, all that would be printed with the prescription bottles anyhow. There are some good ideas with PharmAssistant, but the benefits probably won’t be enough to give this product a lasting appeal.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Wearables

SUNZs unlocks phones and does other things that phones also already do

sunzsOne little-known risk when it comes to phone security is that an often-unlocked touch screen may have smudges showing the security code needed to access the device. SUNZs is a buckle for any wristwatch that has an NFC chip inside that can be tapped on the screen to unlock the phone, access key features, and can be programmed as a quick launcher for up to eight apps. The product is pitched in an infomercial style, and claims to be “the coolest and most useful tool ever,” which may be overstating things a bit. Of course, since it requires NFC, the iPhone is out for now. SUNZs is available in six colors, and will ship out in August for backers who pledge $13.

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness

The Quitbit smart lighter aims to help a bad habit go up in smoke

The Premise. On nearly any trip in public, it’s getting to the point where it would be uncommon not to see somebody wearing a fitness tracker. Getting healthy is a priority for thousands of people, and using technology to do so is a no-brainer these days. But in addition to encouraging good habits, there’s one habit that many people could stand to break in becoming healthier.

The Product. The Quitbit is a pocket-sized tracker for how many cigarettes a person smokes in a day. It, along with its proprietary app, can log how many cigarettes have been smoked, how long it’s been since a cigarette, and can even disable features until a threshold has been met. It’s able to do all of these because the Quitbit is also a flip-up lighter that functions like a car cigarette lighter, with heat coils. The device lasts a week without being recharged and can upload smoking data to social media, either in terms of how fewer cigarettes have been smoked in a week, or how much money has been approximately saved by reducing smoking.

The Pitch. The Quitbit’s campaign is extremely professional and confident, from the design of the product itself down to the supplemental materials available on its Kickstarter and Web site. The entire brand’s attitude is one of helping, not shaming, and that’s part of what makes this product so appealing for those that are cognizant of what smoking does to the human body. Quitbit needs $50,000 to get funded for prototyping, tooling, certification, and manufacturing.

The Perks. The Quitbit lighter and app are available to backers who pledge $79, and will be out at the end of this year. The lighter/tracker can be engraved with a personalized touch for $149.

The Potential. There’s a great amount of potential here for people who want to quit smoking by degrees, using hard data to do so. Because the Quitbit doubles as a lighter, it’s something that no smoker would want to be without, and the social aspects will get those who want to see their friends and family lead a more healthy lifestyle get involved with messages of encouragement. The design is simple, intuitive, and sharp, and the concept is unique enough to make this a great tool in the fight to quit smoking for good, perhaps then being passed on to a friend who can make use of it.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Firefly matches you to those with similar interests beyond glowing wristwear

fireflyGoing out to socialize isn’t the same as it was even a decade ago. With smartphones and social media, most people out in the bar or the club have their phone up the whole time to check messages or take pictures, not notice the people around them. Firefly is a wearable LED band that checks messages and sends out Facebook profiles and common interests, lighting up with a specific pattern if someone else in the area has similar interests, allowing them to meet and talk face to face. In terms of design and functionality, the Firefly is similar to Wave, but adds the pivotal local matchmaking element. Firefly will hit the town in October and is available for $69.

Categories
Imaging Smartwatches/Bands

MADICE brings the “smart pair” of watch and camera into the mobile space

The Premise. The internet of Things continues to boom with smart this and smart that, but these products should do more than just talk with the cloud, internet, or social media. They should talk to each other in an integrated way.

The Product. Designed at its core to cooperate with each other, the MADICE smart camera and smart watch are pocket-sized, sturdy devices that bring a wide range of features in a small, wearable package. Both products offer 3G connectivity, quad core processors, and resistance to water and dust. The camera offers 13 megapixel resolution and has the ability to stream video live over 3G to any device, including the MADICE smart watch itself. Combined, these Android devices can display 1080p high-definition video, run standard Android apps, with the added bonus of the smart camera functioning on its own.

The Pitch. MADICE is a team comprised of creative individuayls from artists to musicians and more, so the campaign for the device is framed naturally to a similar market. The MADICE sells itself as a powerful hands-free tool that can give complete control over a phone or capture the creative spark with pictures nad video. MADICE wants to raise $30,000 to finalize the mobile app for the smart pair and to test and optimize the firmware and hardware.

The Perks. The MADICE smart camera is available for pledges of $139, the smart watch for $189, and the pair for $309. All are expected to ship out at the end of the year. Each item is also available with a 64GB variant compared to the standard 32, for $329 and $379 for camera and watch, respectively.

The Potential. The built-in 3G on these devices make them really great for streaming live video or events as they happen. The overall design is a bit plain, reminiscent of the boxy calculator watches of the 1980s, but the internal power and capabilities of the MADICE smart watch are tempting alone. Paired with the smart camera to create the advertised “smart pair,” that only opens up new opportunities for MADICE to carve out a niche in the already crowded market of smart watches and digital cameras. Without the pair, the devices are certainly powerful, but not so much that they stand high above the competition.

Categories
Connected Objects Music

M1 speaker sits in the corner, may still exhibit good behavior

m1Part of the cartoon ideals of home automation that sell it to so many buyers is the discreet, sometimes imperceptible way that a homeowner interacts with his or her property. The M1 Speaker from Nepsu is designed to follow that philosophy of being functional yet not take up space. These tetrahedral speakers can fit into the corners of any room and mount snugly, working with Bluetooth devices and Android and iOS apps to allow home automation control and audio enjoyment without being bulky and taking up space. However, these speakers are wired, as the out of sight/out of mind design would be compromised if the speakers needed to be repeatedly charged. Alas, Wi-Fi support would allow for longer range for nifty multi-room audio. The M1 speaker will fill rooms with sound in September for $199 CAD.