Tag: app

Categories
Connected Objects

Liif could be life saver if you forget to take your pills

Many people have trouble remembering to take their pills, especially when they are on the run and there are multiple medications that need to be taken at different times of the day.

The Liif smart pill box from Sunnyvale, California-based company Tricella is designed to address that issue. The device connects to smartphones via Bluetooth and through an iOS and Android app. It then tracks when pills are taken or not taken, and sends the user and members of that person’s family reports to make sure the medications aren’t forgotten about. Users only need to tap Liif to an NFC-enabled smartphone to establish the Bluetooth connection.

The company also developed a Tricella Hub so that Liif can be used by consumers who don’t own a smartphone. That device relays Liif’s information just by using an Internet connection. Tricella isn’t using one of the crowd funding sites because it already funded Liif development, it says. The company is selling a four-chamber Liif Today at the discounted price of $44.99. It’s also fielding a seven-chamber version called Liif This Week at the discounted price of $54.99. The Hub is being sold for $89.99 on the Web site.

Liif is a promising product that should appeal to a large base of consumers. The price seems about right for the pill boxes themselves. But the Hub’s price seems excessive– especially when it’s likely that the target customer for that device is a senior citizen or other consumer who doesn’t own a smartphone and might be more budget-conscious than an iPhone owner. Liif’s name could also potentially confuse consumers. It was designed to resemble a leaf and that’s precisely how the device is pronounced. But the spelling could confuse some people and it’s not clear what a leaf has to do with a smart pill box anyway. Similar products have included Hi Pills, a pill dispenser box that also connected to iOS and Android devices.

Categories
Wearables

Tool2Find uses GPS to locate children, pets; more reliable than Bluetooth

The universal fear of not being able to find a child or pet has created a huge market for tracking devices like the new Tool2Find from the Netherlands.

Unlike many rival products, the small Tool2Find doesn’t depend on a Bluetooth connection, but rather much more accurate GPS technology. The device, which can be clipped onto one’s belt or other object, works in conjunction with an App2Find app for Android and iOS mobile devices. Backers who pay €165 (~$198) will get an App2Find with accessories including a clip and UBS charger and update cable. That’s 34% cheaper than the device’s regular price. Its maker is looking to raise €30,000 (~$36,000) on Indiegogo.

GPS is clearly a superior technology solution for such devices than Bluetooth. But the market is just too crowded with similar devices to project any great success for Tool2Find. It doesn’t help that the device is also relatively expensive. The similar Iota, for example, costs somewhat less.

Categories
Sensors/IoT Sleep

Smartphone-adjustable ThinkPillow measures sleep, wakes you up

Sleep is one of the most important ways to stay healthy. Sleeping resets mind, body, and soul, giving the chance for healing. However, most have trouble with their sleep patterns, either waking up in the middle of a REM cycle or sleeping for too short of a time.

ThinkPillow is a smart pillow that is fully adjustable in height and firmness. It is designed with special technology aimed at fixing any kind of spinal pain. Not only does it come with comfort, however, but it also tracks your sleep patterns. With this data, the accompanying smartphone app can choose when to wake you so that you’ll feel alert and refreshed instead of bedraggled and exhausted.

ThinkPillow’s smartphone app charts sleep patterns over time and, as such, can be useful to physicians if something goes wrong. In addition, it lets the user track what they’re doing three hours before bedtime and can make suggestions based on those habits. For instance, if the user isn’t getting enough sleep, but drinks coffee every night, the app will tell them to cut it out. ThinkPillow also spies on family members and lets users see the sleep patterns of mom, grandma, dad or whoever else uses the device.

Getting the right amount of sleep can be truly difficult. They say you should get out of bed when you initially wake up in the morning, but if that’s too early for some, they’d rather get another half an hour of sleep. It’s great that ThinkPillow can tell when the person is actually asleep, not just when they intend to be asleep, and uses that to wake them up in the morning. While well-intentioned, the family sharing feature may get a little annoying to some. Though it is good for elderly family members who are too far away to check up on. One ThinkPillow can be had for $102 NZD (~$79 USD) for estimated delivery in April 2015. This product hopes to raise $50,000 NZD (~$38,800 USD) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Connected Objects Technology Wearables

Smarter strides made possible by Stridalyzer

Knee problems make up a significant percentage of all injuries to runners, hence the common affliction known as runner’s knee. That’s why ReTiSense, the Bangalore, India-based maker of Stridalyzer smart insoles, made the prevention of knee injuries its top priority when developing the product.

Stridalyzer analyzes the user’s stride and gait and can predict if that person is headed for an injury. The insoles have integrated multiple sensors that detect how the user’s foot lands, rolls and pushes off the ground. All the user has to do is put the insoles in their running shoes, turn on the accompanying iOS (and, by the time of launch, Android) app, and start running. Stridalyzer automatically understands the user is moving and will start collecting data about the run from each of the two included insoles. The insoles come with a USB charging cord and each insole battery charges in about 15 minutes.

The insoles are similar in size and use similar materials as the insoles that are used in typical high-end running shoes. The company will design the insoles in just a few common sizes initially, but it will be possible to trim the insoles by one size, using scissors, so they can fit more snugly. The company plans to launch an ExpertConnect premium service to be used with the insoles a few months after the product ships in the spring. The service will enable runners to get more individualized and directed advice from running experts, coaches or trainers. Backers who pledge at least $90 will get the insoles in April or May. ReTiSense is looking to raise $25,000 by Jan. 7.

Certainly the product seems like a steal at the early bird pricing levels, especially when you consider that the similar—but apparently less advanced—UniverSole was priced at $200 a pair. Even at its regular price of $129-$139, many consumers may see Stridalyzer as a good deal.

Categories
Home Sensors/IoT

Ramos uses a Bluetooth beacon to coax your butt from the bed

Getting up in the morning for some is a delight and for others means terror. Getting up on the wrong side of the bed means a day full of disappointment. Sometimes the way we get up can determine the course of the day.

Ramos is an alarm clock that not only gets you out of bed, but does so the right way. The alarm consists of three parts, first the clock by the side of the bed, a Bluetooth sensor, and your smartphone. Upon waking up, the user must get out of bed and bring their smartphone close to the sensor. Distances can be customized, but most choose to put the sensor in the bathroom or kitchen next to the coffeepot. For heavy sleepers, Ramos requires a four digit code to really make them think.

The accompanying smartphone app allows for multiple alarms, snooze limits, multiple users, and more. A courtesy mode makes one initial beep, but then shuts up to consider letting others sleep. The user can also play their own music with or without a gradual loudness mode to make waking up a little more smooth. With a USB port, you can charge your smartphone so it can stay attached to the alarm and the alarm runs on battery when unplugged, so it can never be tricked.

Ramos has really thought of everything in terms of waking up. The movable sensor makes it easy to prepare for different kinds of days. Its various modes consider the comfort of bedfellows and family members. Best of all, it doesn’t wake you up with a greased pig-like chase around the room like some unconventional alarms do. For backers who want to get up in the morning without feeling like committing murders, try Ramos for a donation of $99 in either white or black for estimated delivery in May 2015. Ramos is hoping to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Fitness Watches and Jewelry Wearables

Mira fitness tracker boosts ego, blasts laziness

Many fitness devices and trackers offer the same thing. They track activity and create graphs and charts to see progress. Few, however, really take on the motivation of a trainer in order to push users to do more.

Mira is the first wearable fitness device designed just for women. The tracker itself is small and black and either fits onto a stylish bracelet, clips onto clothing or fits in a pocket. With its accompanying smartphone app, it measures steps taken throughout the day along with other activities put in manually. In addition, it tracks food and water intake. Mira makes it easy to see activity and calories consumed per day all in one place.

Perhaps the most unique thing about this product, however, is the tips and tricks it provides, called boosts. These boosts can range from advising users to drink water when they get up in the morning to saying that sweat is really “fat crying”. Anyone using Mira can ask for a boost when they need it. At the end of the day, you can look through how you did in order to determine what to do more or less of.

All in all, Mira is a great product for women, or men too for that matter. Mira should be careful, however, not to fall into the Bic Pen for Her trap, making their product a caricature of what women really need. The boosts are borderline at best, some reminiscent of what a mean girl would say with a sneer, like the above crying fat comment. Even so, the intent behind the product is definitely good. One package including tracker, bracelet and app will cost backers $149 with an estimated delivery of January 2015. Mira is looking to raise $10,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Pets

Romeow woos your Julipet with smartphone scheduled feedings

Leaving a pet alone at home for a few days isn’t only taxing on the animal, but stressful for the owner too. Cats and dogs hate to be put in kennels and it can be expensive to have someone feed and take care of pets several times a day.

Romeow is a smartphone-powered device that can feed and provide water for pets over Wi-Fi. When away, owners can use the wide angle camera to check out the bowls. If empty, a tap of a button will dispense the desired amount of food and water. In addition, the owner can schedule all feedings with the app’s calendar, so pet feeding is never a chore. Romeow also comes equipped with a speaker so you can coo at your pet from afar.

Romeow joins scores of other similar products like the Kittyo and PetPal, though it claims to be the first. While it does have a camera and speaker, it doesn’t come equipped with a laser to actually interact with the pet like other products do, though this feature does seem bit superfluous. This product also offers water dispensing unlike others. The Italian Romeow’s design sets it apart too, opting to go more retro/industrial chic rather than the futuristic spaceship look. One Romeow system complete with two bowls can be had by backers for €249 (~$310) by September 2015, if the campaign can meet its €80,000 (~$99,600) goal on Indiegogo.

Categories
Nutrition/Hydration

Qi Teamaker taps your smartphone to produce oolongs and aahs

Fancy coffeemakers are all the rage. But some people would rather drink tea in the morning instead. Without as much caffeine, tea can be had all throughout the day.

The Qi Teamaker makes the perfect cup of tea. This device lets the user control water flow, water temperature and brew time along with the strength of the tea they’re drinking. Best of all, the device allows you to choose what kind of tea you’re drinking so that it can adjust its settings accordingly. At its maximum capacity, this teamaker makes up to eight cups of tea. Qi is compatible with both loose leaf tea and tea bags. The Vita+ version of Qi comes with an accompanying smartphone app that lets users monitor the brewing process, customize the way their tea is made and track their favorite teas.

People who are into tea know that brewing time and water temperature are essential for making great tea, and those settings vary based on the type of tea being had. In this way, Qi is the perfect item for tea connoisseurs. The smartphone app, while a cool feature, doesn’t seem to serve much of a purpose, however, and so backers may want to consider sticking with the base model to save money. The Qi Teamaker Vita can be had for a donation of $169 CAD (~$149 USD) with an estimated delivery month of April 2015. Qi is hoping to raise $100,000 CAD (~$86,500) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Health and Wellness Sensors/IoT

MOCAheart looks after vitals, lets you check up on loved one’s hearts

Health monitors that send information to smartphones are becoming increasingly popular. It’s an easy way to collect important data and send off to doctors if need be. They also provide a way to track patterns and trends, hopefully catching harmful conditions early on so they don’t get worse.

MOCAheart is one such monitor. This small metal sensor about the size of a contact lens holder measures heart rate (bpm) and oxygen levels in the blood and sends such data to its accompanying smartphone app. With this information it generates the MOCA index, a number that tells you how you’re doing. Zero is low, but still okay. One is normal, two is slightly high, at three they recommend you make a doctor’s appointment and four means you should seek immediate medical attention.

In addition to monitoring your own health, MOCA hooks up with other MOCAheart owners through the app. This way, you can monitor the health of loved ones. The app also allows users to put notes next to their readings, like one man does in the campaign, saying that his vitals show he’s stressed because he has to work late. It also records the date and weather of each reading, demonstrating how lifestyle can affect blood pressure.

MOCAheart joins scores of other health devices that make monitoring one’s health super easy. The size of the sensor itself makes it convenient to carry around and the two touch method of reading vitals is too simple to mess up. Perhaps the best part, though, is the ability to check up on loved ones. This seems great for younger generations making sure their elderly parents or grandparents are okay. Though this could get annoying after a while, however productive. Backers can own their own for a donation of $99 with delivery in April 2015. MOCAheart is looking to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

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.