Tag: connected objects

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Lighting Television

AmbiScreen lights up the backs of your screens and more

Ambient TV backlighting technology has so far failed to find a major audience in the U.S. despite several attempts by companies including Philips and its Ambilight. More recently, the makers of Project-Pyxis failed to reach their funding goals for that device.

AmbiScree is a new, LED-based backlighting device with somewhat more ambitious functionality than some prior products. It is controlled wirelessly via iOS (and later Android) mobile devices, and provides ambient lighting for TVs or any other display, as well as videogame consoles and any other device in the home, according to its Indiegogo campaign. AmbiScreen can also be used as an autonomous mood light system. So, in addition to creating light behind a TV, it can also be used to create ambient lighting in bathrooms and other rooms.

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Connected Objects Food and Beverage

Auroma One offers a smart solution for waking up to aroma of fresh coffee

Many coffee machines do a pretty good of making it easy to brew some java each morning.

Auroma One, however, is a modern take on the coffee machine –- a smart, single-serve coffee maker that brews the beverage based on each user’s preferences. The device learns how users prefer their coffee based on feedback from the accompanying Android and iOS app for mobile devices. Auroma One provides control over the brewing process that includes how finely the coffee beans are chopped and the coffee’s exact temperature. It also informs users when coffee beans are running low. Any coffee beans can be used with the device, according to its Kickstarter campaign.

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Automotive Connected Objects Imaging

Fenderhawk keeps an eye out for fender benders

Cars are all too often banged and scratched by other cars even when they are parked. It would be nice for drivers to know when such accidents happen –- and how they happened — when they’re not around.

patent-claimedFenderhawk does exactly that. It’s a smart license plate frame for the front and rear of a vehicle that features a full HD camera with a wide-angle lens, as well as a built-in accelerometer and flash storage. Fenderhawk is controlled via an app on Android and iOS mobile devices. It assists users while parking a car and continues recording video after leaving the vehicle.

If there is a collision, Fenderhawk sends the user video footage recorded on it immediately, according to its Kickstarter campaign. Fenderhawk ships in October at $199.99. Its makers hope to raise $450,000 by Dec. 24.

The device may certainly appeal to some drivers, but its functionality seems somewhat limited when compared to driving assistance devices like CarVi. Avoiding accidents while driving, after all, seems much more important than guarding against fender benders while parked and there’s nobody in the car.

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Automotive Connected Objects

Driver Watchdog’s dual cameras keep watch over your car inside and out for a fee

With the smart home space getting more crowded and connectivity coming to he vehicle, there’s been a growing number of driving assistant and monitoring devices that have sought crowdfunding in recent months.

Driver Watchdog is a wireless plug-and-play device featuring dual HD 175-degree panoramic cameras. The external camera records road conditions and accidents, while its internal camera monitors distracting behavior going on inside the car. The cameras record simultaneously and automatically stream data to the cloud for storage and review at a later time.

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Connected Objects Imaging

Shockwave action cam surprises with features including live streaming

The action camera category keeps growing as new players attempt to compete against the popular GoPro.

Shockwave is a wearable action cam that can stream live video on the Internet via Wi-Fi or 4G service, meaning it will transmit data whether the user is indoors or outdoors. It can easily be installed on the surface of any object through solutions including a tripod, unmanned aerial vehicle suspension or its sport camera wearable mounting design, according to the Indiegogo campaign.

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Connected Objects Fitness

Skulpt Chisel helps body sculpting by monitoring fat

Having a device that can accurately measure one’s body fat can go a long way towards achieving fitness goals.

Skulpt Chisel is a device about the size of a typical smartphone that has 12 sensors on its back that can be used to measure 24 body muscles just by pressing it up against those muscles. It sends a tiny current past the subcutaneous fat and through the muscle fibers, picking up thousands of data points per second, according to its Indiegogo campaign. The technology then evaluates the flow of that current to accurately measure the fat percentage per muscle, and rate that muscle’s fitness.

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Connected Objects Television

Klikr lets you replace all your electronic clickers with a smartphone

With the popularity of the Chromecast, many consumers are already controlling their TVs with their smartphones. But Klikr is a small Bluetooth LE device that takes the trend one step further.

By sticking Klikr on a TV, speaker, air conditioner or just about any other electronic device that uses an infrared remote control, a user can use an accompanying Android or iOS app to control any of those devices from their mobile device. Klikr gets stuck to a device next to that device’s infrared receiver using two sticky, reusable gel pads, and works as long as the user is within about 10 meters away. ,

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Connected Objects Sports

Ti.ttle golf swing analyzer could help you shave some strokes

An increasing number of devices are being introduced to help golfers practice their swings while away from a golf course.

Ti.ttle is a small device that clips onto a golf club and serves as a swing analyzer calculating the distance and direction a golf ball would have traveled if it was hit with that swing. It works in conjunction with apps for Android and iOS mobile devices, and can be used with all types of golf clubs, including drivers, woods, irons, wedges and putters, according to its Kickstarter campaign. After each practice swing, ti.ttle provides real-time feedback by displaying the calculated carry distance on its OLED display.

Ti.ttle ships in December. Retail pricing isn’t provided by its Kickstarter campaign. But early bird backers can get one as low as $49. Its makers are looking to raise $60,000 by Dec. 3.

Many devoted golfers may want to give ti.ttle a try, although it’s difficult to tell from the campaign video just how accurate it is. There have been other devices introduced that allow golfers to practice their swings without being anywhere near a golf course. One example is the Smart Golf connected golf club. One major advantage of ti.ttle is that it allows golfers to practice using the clubs they are already familiar with.

 

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Connected Objects Travel

AirBolt will help prevent your luggage from disappearing into thin air

Luggage security is an ongoing concern for travelers. But traditional luggage locks are problematic for several reasons, whether they require keys or combinations. The keys are easy to lose, while combinations are easy to forget.

AirBolt is a smartphone-controlled travel lock that doesn’t require a key or users to remember combinations. The device is relatively small and features a die-cast zinc body, along with a rugged stainless steel rope that allows users to attach AirBolt to places that include a bag’s zipper. It operates on Bluetooth 4.2 and features a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery that lasts for one year, according to AirBolt’s Kickstarter campaign.

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Connected Objects Health and Wellness

Wing helps those with asthma soar by catching early warning signs

Asthma inhalers are necessary items for those who suffer from that lung disease. But those medications can’t help users detect the early warning signs of an asthma attack.

Wing is a pocket-sized sensor that enables those who suffer from asthma and other lung ailments to monitor and manage their conditions, and also lets them know when an attack is coming, according to its Indiegogo campaign. The device can also be used by those suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and other respiratory conditions, its maker says. Wing is made up of a small white device that the user breathes into.

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