Security is a massive concern these days — not just digitally, but in the physical world as well. GeckoEye offers versatile security in the home, car, or office in a stylish, compact package. Shaped like a disc, GeckoEye can be mounted on any surface and provide security recording of any environment. On its own, GeckoEye isn’t all that revolutionary, though the ability to be mounted anywhere is a big help. What really serves to set GeckoEye apart is the solar panels on the device that can keep it powered without moving it to be charged. Monthly fees for cloud storage and an overall lack of features may hurt the device, but the solar charging is a great benefit. GeckoEye can be picked up for $189.
Tag: camera
GoPro cameras are famous for catching awesome action shots. The only problem is that it’s really hard to see what you’re filming without the proper attachments. However, being extreme doesn’t allow for tons of camera accessories. The GoRigit allows you to attach your GoPro to your iPhone, turning the phone into a large display. This case cleverly puts your phone to good use while also eliminating the need for extra gear. It comes complete with weather and shock proofing and still lets your phone maintain its call functions. One costs backers $49 with delivery set for December 2014. GoRigit hopes to raise $35,000 on Kickstarter.
The Premise. Aerial video footage can be expensive and inconvenient to capture. Sometimes, however, to get the perfect shot, you’ll have to travel up to videotape the world below. This requires either a helicopter or ridiculously priced cameras that have the ability to fly.
The Product. A simplified drone, Pocketcopter is a small, portable camera that flies. Using two blades that rotate in opposite directions, this product can capture video from high heights. The way it flies allows the blades to be quiet so their noise doesn’t detract from the footage. With connection to your smartphone, you can operate the app with iOS or Android. A touch screen allows you to control the Pocketcopter along with the video it’s capturing. If the product should become disconnected with the phone, it simply floats down to the ground slowly.
The Pitch. Upon a second viewing of the video, it’s clear that the footage of landscape shown in the beginning few seconds are shot with the Pocketcopter. There’s no clear demonstration of the use of the product and the video is only 25 seconds long. The rest of the campaign explains the product more thoroughly and goes into its various features.This Spanish product hopes to raise €15,000 in a month-long campaign on Indiegogo.
The Perks. For €59, backers will receive the Pocketcopter at an early price or at a regular price of €99. Tiers go up to €260 with estimated delivery in May 2015.
The Potential. The market has several flying camera options to offer. The Phantom 2 Vision is a much bulkier camera and looks like something out of Star Wars. Similarly, the Parrot features four blades and comes with different camouflage options, causing one to wonder why you’d want the camera to be invisible. Pocketcopter is by far the smallest and most portable of these options, not to mention the cheapest. It’s minimal design and affordability make flying footage accessible to amateur cameramen. Pocketcopter is perfect for students or hobby filmmakers alike.
The Premise. Home security is a constant concern. Many security companies cost a lot of money and only set off an alarm, leaving you wondering what’s really going on at home. Others are set off by pets or even by yourself when returning home.
The Product. Butterfleye is a small wireless camera that watches over your home while you’re away. It connects with your phone so that you can check in with the camera at all times. This little security guard also has two-way audio so you can speak with whoever you see on camera. With a smart operating system, Butterfleye can not only detect motion, but also easily distinguish between humans and pets. A heat detector registers rapid change in temperature and even fires. The camera is portable and can even be used to take spontaneous photos and videos of fun moments. Those pictures and clips captured can be accessed from the app and shared with friends and family via e-mail or social media.
The Pitch. Butterfleye’s video shoes a modern career woman, mom and wife using the product with ease. It’s simple and to the point. Butterfleye is featured on its very own website and not on a crowd-funding site. The creators of the product have not shared a pre-order goal.
The Perks. One Butterfleye on the site goes for $199, $50 less than the retail price and is set to ship in early 2015. The site also offers a three-pack of Butterfleye for $547.
The Potential. Home security has become more and more simple in the recent past with people avoiding signing costly contracts with security companies and instead opting for a lower-cost option. NOVI, another standalone security device, features a camera, smoke detector and learning software. NOVI lets the user contact the police or help easily when the alarm is triggered. It is unclear whether Butterfleye has the same feature, though since it connects to your smartphone, it would not be hard to send for help if your home is in danger. In addition to its security functions, Butterfleye is also a cool camera that does the work of documenting memories for you, so that you can enjoy the moment. This multi-tasking function along with everything else Butterfleye does makes it a very interesting product. There is certainly room on the security/camera market for Butterfleye.
Photographers know that light is what makes the difference between a quality photograph and a waste of memory. BounceLite is a camera attachment that allows a photographer to manipulate light for a great photo. It features a hinged white square that angles light wherever it needs to go. The attachment also features colored gels that are easy to install in order to give a photo a different mood or quality. BounceLite eliminates the need for bulky reflectors and makes professional-quality photos easier to capture. It looks like a handy camera accessory that will be attractive to advanced amateurs and pros. This British product will cost backers £88. BounceLite hopes to raise £28,000 on Kickstarter.
The Premise. The dream of a household robot is so alluring because it falls somewhere between faithful pet dog and trusty, capable butler. Now that homes are more readily equipped with Wi-fi and several connected smart home devices, the perfect environment exists in which to bring in a truly sophisticated but accessible home robot.
The Product. JIBO, a robot that looks like a cross between a desktop fan and EVE from the Pixar movie Wall-E, seems to be the first step in blending functionality with companionship. Sitting cheerfully wherever he is placed, JIBO will learn faces and voices as he interacts with people around the house. As he continues to learn and develop, JIBO will be able to interact with household devices and services like lighting, voicemail, and email. JIBO also functions as a digital camera capable of taking photos and video and even as a telepresence robot during video calls. JIBO developers can create for him like any other platform, offering a variety of apps and features in the future.
The Pitch. JIBO’s pitch video shows the friendly robot blending in and being a part of the family, helping set up steamy dates over Chinese takeout and playing with kids inside blanket forts. Movie buffs might be a little unsettled by the simulated “first-person” JIBO scenes, which seem oddly similar to scenes from Terminator, but the device seems functional and friendly enough for now. The development team behind JIBO needs to raise $100,000 to finish the internal design and testing of JIBO.
The Perks. A JIBO Robot along with the developer’s JIBOAlive Toolkit will cost backers $499, although the device won’t ship until February 2016. If that sounds like too long to wait, some charity will get one sent a little sooner. Those who pledge $799 will get a JIBO in December 2015 along with donating an identical unit to the Boston Children’s Hospital. Likewise, a $899 donation will offer the same perk albeit with the Developer Edition.
The Potential. JIBO seems like a great digital assistant and communication device at its base, with the promise of more to come. JIBO’s disposition seems to be bright and cheerful enough to dissuade any fears of the robot uprising, and the lack of mobility emphasizes this although limits something that would make JIBO a huge leap forward for personal robotics. Those looking for a friendly face in the home that doesn’t need to be walked or cleaned up after will be excited to rush out and make friends with a JIBO as soon as possible.
Most people use their phones to snap pictures of everyday life. It’s easy because the phone is always there, but the camera isn’t always at the ready resulting in lost opportunities for cool photos. EvolvButton is a camera shutter button that attaches directly to your phone. It always you to take photos wherever, whenever no matter what you’re up to on the phone. The campaign is a little unclear about how this product works although from the looks of it it may not be more than an extgra bit of padding around the iPhone’s Volume Down button. Even more curiously, EvolvButton’s campaign doesn’t actually offer the product in any of the reward tiers which go up to $1,000. This convenient shutter button hopes to raise $40,000 on Kickstarter.
The house tends to feel sadly incomplete without the presence of a family pet. Sometimes for companionship, other times for home security, a pet can be a great friend and a great responsibility. The curious iCat is a little robotic pet that emulates pet ownership without the messy cleanups, odors, and costly food purchases. With touch sensors and a camera, iCat will be content to roam the house, or can function as a long-distance home monitor on kids or against intruders. While the little robotic pal is cute, most people will probably want more traditional home security methods/pet options. iCat is headed to homes everywhere January 2015 for $59.
The doorbell is a double-edged sword: it can signify the arrival of friends and loved ones, but it has a tendency to do so at the most inopportune times. i-BELL is a doorbell and video camera that connects to the home’s Wi-fi network and pushes an alert and live feed of the camera to any smartphone or tablet. Audio communication can take place or callers can leave a message if unresponded to. While the utility of this device is great and has built-in security features in case of threats or pranksters, it’s certainly not the first to try this and might get lost among Doorbot, Goji, and Chui. i-Bell will come knocking in November for £152.
The Premise. Modern security systems promise innovation and quick response, but can be too complex in the way they work. In addition, they’re expensive and not portable, leaving renters and office owners at risk.
The Product. NOVI is a portable security system. With three features, this small device looks like a typical smoke detector and attaches to the ceiling. It has an HD camera, motion sensor, siren and smoke detector. Information is sent to an app on one’s smartphone if there is any activity. This allows the user to see exactly what is going on at their home at any time. NOVI is also a learning device, keeping track of typical habits so it knows when to arm itself if the user has forgotten to do so. The app asks for a response when an image is sent including call the police, ignore, or request another image.
The Pitch. The campaign video goes through the downside of working with typical security companies and the upside of NOVI. Scary statistics about the false alarm rate common with regular security companies and the costs associated with that permeate the rest of the campaign. NOVI’s creators also really emphasize that their product requires one payment instead of bothersome monthly fees and contracts. NOVI needs to raise $80,000 for a successful run on Kickstarter.
The Perks. Early birds will receive one sensor and the base station for $149, regularly priced at $199. Higher tiers offer more sensors, great for larger apartments, homes or for landlords who’d like to equip the apartments that they lease. Estimated delivery is set for January 2015.
The Potential. Portable home security systems do exist on the market, but not all take the same approach as NOVI. The Tattletale alarm works remotely as well, but costs $500. Similarly, the SimpliSafe alarm system is portable and connects to one’s cell phone, but the company charges a monthly rate for each added feature. NOVI truly is simple and refined. While it could have more features like a carbon monoxide detector, NOVI’s genius lies in its affordability making it the best option for safety for home owners and especially apartment renters.