Tag: Bluetooth

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Tech Accessories

Btunes plays music; wirelessly plugs into headphones eliminating tangles for good

There are tons of products devoted to the untangling and organization of earbud and headphone wires. BTunes would rather focus on making headphones wireless, so tangling is no longer an issue.

BTunes is an attachment for your headphones. Fitting into headphones where the wire can be removed, it connects to your smartphone so that you can listen to hifi music, make calls and talk to Siri. In addition, it’ll fit into any auxiliary jack in a car to listen to music wirelessly. With NFC, connecting to NFC-enabled devices is simple. The product is black and looks a bit like a Bluetooth.

BTunes is an excellent way to stay wirelessly connected to your smartphone. It’s unclear if there’s any type of button to answer calls with, however. Still, for music, Skype, Siri and countless other options, Btunes is the way to go. One with a pair of headphones in your choice of color will cost backers $49 for estimated delivery in May 2015. BTunes is looking to raise $40,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Connected Objects Winter Sports

Shredz audio helmet kit lets you jam out on the mountain

Skiing and snowboarding are two activities that make winter bearable. There’s nothing like careening down a hill in a sea of white.

Now, you can listen to music or talk on the phone while on the mountain. Shredz is an audio kit for ski or snowboard helmets that affixes earbuds to the riders ears. It works with any helmet that comes with space for headphones already. Coming in either wireless Bluetooth or connected, Shredz is a great way to jam out or keep in touch with loved ones.

This Canadian product is great for habitual skiers and snowboarders. Some may argue that it may be dangerous to listen to music on the mountain, but for experienced riders, it’s probably okay. The only thing is that not everyone wears helmets, so it would be interesting to see if Shredz could develop a version that works well with toques or goggles. The Bluetooth enabled version of this Canadian product is going for $109 CAD (~$95 USD) for estimated delivery in March 2015. Shredz is hoping to raise $20,000 CAD (~$18,300 USD) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Connected Objects Cooking Sensors/IoT

Pantelligent takes the guesswork out of cooking; makes sure you can stand the heat in the kitchen

Objects everywhere around us are becoming smarter. It’s now a cinch to keep lawns watered, pets fed, temperatures regulated, security systems activated and so much more. What could be next?

Pantelligent lets you cook smarter. This Bluetooth enabled pan monitors the temperature of its surface and sends the data to an accompanying smartphone app. It tracks heat to make sure that the food won’t burn or sit there cold. The app also comes equipped with recipes for salmon, steak, chicken, scallops and much more. For added convenience, the recipes can be read out loud so you’re not stuck hunched over instructions. In addition, the recipe will indicate when the cut of meat needs to be flipped over. Pantelligent also allows for new recipes to be put in, so that it can be used for everyone’s food preferences.

The scores of testimonials on the campaign page say that Pantelligent helped cook the best meals of different people’s lives. Someone says it’s like a GPS for cooking. All in all, Pantelligent seems to live up to the hype as a unique product useful for many. It’s unclear how Pantelligent cooks red meat, however, or if it can work with different meat temperatures. Still, many still find cooking a mystery and this product clears up a lot of the guesswork. For $199, backers can have their very own with estimated delivery set for August 2015. This product is looking to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Connected Objects Tech Accessories

Modular Nakatomi Hive is a docking system that connects to whatever you want

Nowhere is our cluttered digital life more evident than in our homes and offices, where wires cross every which way in an effort to keep us connected. Even if our devices have become the digital swiss army knives we’ve always wanted, the ways in which they interact with the world around us have remained clunky at best. Modularity is the bet the team behind the NAKATOMI is making, offering a system in which one dock serves all your needs.

The NAKATOMI PURE is the smartphone version and takes its place atop your home or office desk. It features three USB ports: one to connect to your computer and two to connect to your devices. It also features an ambient light to show whether or not its active, and stylishly facilitates content syncing. The NAKATOMI HIVE is a living room dock that connects to your TV, stereo, and Wi-Fi, allowing for XBMC-like content curation and playback. In addition, the HIVE’s dock is customizable so that you can choose to make it a charging dock or a home monitoring system while you’re away. More docks are expected to be developed, so the HIVE’s uses will continue to evolve.

As interesting as modularity is as a concept, being able to only use one dock at a time limits the NAKATOMI’s utility. And having to change the dock depending on the need is more work than most people care for. Having a few separate devices that each operate independently all the time is better than having to toggle every single time you want a new capability. In any case, the NAKATOMI’s build quality seems superb and would make for a snazzy desk mate. The campaign is looking to get the $99 PURE or the $299 HIVE out to backers by May 2015 by reaching their $100,000 goal.

 

Categories
Connected Objects Music

Mars Bluetooth speakers levitate, more impressive than David Blaine

Should there be a robot-led apocalypse in the future, there’s no doubt the majority of their ground forces will be comprised of portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s easy to see, too: the last few years have witnessed a onslaught of speakers in all manner of sizes, shapes, colors, and prices. With all these options, though, it has become difficult to really capture a consumer’s attention.

For Hong Kong-based crazybaby, this isn’t a problem at all. Their Mars portable Bluetooth speaker has the unique distinction of incorporating levitation in an effort to improve acoustic fidelity, and looking mighty cool while doing so. The speaker sports a 360°, UFO-like shape, so no one in the immediate area is spared audio quality as there’s technically no back to it. Its aircraft-grade aluminum design also makes it a stunner while still being able to take a few tumbles thanks to its shock and waterproof design. Mars is also magnetized, so users can take it along with them and clip to a bike or pretty much anything else for up to eight hours. A successful $100,000 campaign will see the $189 Mars levitating speaker shipped in April 2015.

The Mars levitating speaker is simply impressive, and isn’t as expensive one would think something as sleek and functional would be. A companion app allows users control over neat tricks like proximity-based volume adjustment, an old but well-executed idea that makes the Mars sleeker than it already is. The bullet-like Archt One also spreads sound around equally and looks good too, but the Mars speakers levitate.  

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
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
Cell Phone Accessories Smartwatches/Bands

Nudge filters calls and texts so only important ones come in, nudges you into being social

Smartphones run our daily lives, providing us with calls, texts, e-mails, reminders, and other conveniences. As such, it’s tempting to keep a close eye on the phone to make sure that absolutely nothing is missed. However, no one likes hanging out with someone glued to their phone all the time.

Nudge is a system made so that the phone can stay put away until something really important comes up. This rubbery bracelet features notification lights to alert the wearer to an important call, text, e-mail, calendar reminder, etc. It connects via Bluetooth to an app that allows for notification customization. For instance, it’s possible to allow calls from a boss to come through to the bracelet or texts from kids. Each type of incoming communication can be given either a green light on the bracelet or red. The bracelet features a “shut up” button that lets the phone be silenced if the call is deemed ignorable.

We’ve seen many other bracelets and jewelry and home goods of this type like the Ringly. While certainly a good idea, Nudge fails to live up to its counterparts. Other systems allow for vibrations and lights so that different patterns can be set for different types of notifications. Nudge is unisex, which male backers may appreciate as most other types are for women only, but Nudge will need to push farther to really compete. Backers can have their own for a donation of £29 (~$46) with estimated delivery set for August 2015. Nudge is hoping to raise £35,000 (~$55,000) 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
Connected Objects Cycling

COBI connected bike system stylishly declutters handlebar gadgets

Most riders who take their biking seriously pony up the cash for all sorts of mounts and lights to make their trips more manageable, but their handlebars end up being anything but. To put it simply, handlebars are extremely cluttered and the more functionality a rider wants, the worse it becomes.

iCradle, Inc.’s COBI connected biking system is taking what cyclists want in their ride and combining it all into an unobtrusive, wireless system. On its own, COBI gives riders an automatic flashlight, turn signal, and a proximity start-up that senses a cyclist’s iPhone or Android device and reacts accordingly. The COBI’s main draw is its handlebar dock. When a smartphone is inserted, COBI instantly adds over 100 intelligent features to any standard or electronic bike, all controlled with a handy thumb controller that allows focus to stay on the road ahead. A lot of these features, like intelligent navigation, the ability to call friends, a fitness tracker, Spotify integration, and a smart theft alarm, all make use of their large, colorful screens, and their high-powered internals —all while being charged with a 6000mAh battery pack for standard bikes or an e-bike’s hub.

COBI is extremely modular, allowing riders the freedom to pick and choose which components they’d like to add or remove from their systems, handy when more are created in the future. The company has created four separate types of designs to accommodate different types of riders: racer, city, urban, and mountain. They mainly differ in aesthetic, though. A complete kit for standard bikes goes for $255, while an e-bike gets a small discount being that they come with compatible controllers at $199. iCradle, Inc. is looking to ship the product in June 2015 provided they reach their $100,000 goal.

The COBI connected system is extremely polished and full-featured, traits sure to attract a large number of supporters and adopters. With add-ons to protect from tough terrain and inclement weather, the thought behind the design and implementation of the product is obvious. Combine with the Helmetor to get maximum efficiency out of any bike.