Tag: connected objects

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Connected Objects Cycling

SmartPedal adds smartphone-controlled turn signals, GPS tracking to your bike

One of the most hazardous parts of riding a bicycle on the same roads as car traffic is that vehicles can’t usually tell when the cyclist is planning to make a turn.

SmartPedal is a pedal featuring smartphone-controlled turn signaling that can be added to most bicycles. The pedals are connected to Android and iOS phones via Bluetooth. Once installed, users can inform surrounding traffic of their intent to make a turn via voice command or touch gesture that activates a blinking light sequence. A pair of SmartPedals cost 178 euros (~$200) and will ship in March-June 2016, with retail distribution expected to follow in July. Its maker is hoping to raise 260,000 euros (~$291,800) by July 4.

There are other smart pedals for bikes, including Connected Cycle Pedals. But SmartPedals’ safety focus sets it apart. Despite the focus on safety while riding in urban traffic, it has GPS tracking inside the application, which will allow users to track their positions/routes via smartphones. Its maker is also expecting to add a GPS sensor inside the SmartPedal itself to allow the user to track the position of the bike while the SmartPedals are on it, which would enable it to also function as an anti-theft device.

 

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Automotive Connected Objects

GoFar smart driving device keeps you in the fuel efficiency zone

Drivers typically spend thousands of dollars on fuel for their cars each year. And much of that money is wasted because of the amount of time spent in traffic and inefficient driving styles that don’t take into account each vehicle’s unique engine.

patent-claimedGoFar is a connected onboard diagnostics (OBD) device that can be easily installed by attaching a dongle to a vehicle’s computer using the car’s OBD-II port. The dongle gets attached to the device’s base unit — a small sleek enclosure of LED lights called the Ray — which is placed on the dashboard. When driving efficiently, the base unit glows blue, and, when not driving inefficiently, it glows red. The device then gets paired with an iOS (and later Android) app, which is used to keep track of fuel used, dollars spent on it, and other key driving data. The device cost $149 and will ship in November. Its maker set a Kickstarter goal of receiving $50,000 by June 2.

The device should appeal to a wide variety of consumers, including anybody who uses their car every day and environment-conscious people who want to reduce the size of their carbon footprints. The device faces competition from several OBD-II devices, including Automatic and Fuel Book, but offers enough unique features for it to stand out, including the stylish and useful design of the base unit.

Categories
Connected Objects Cycling

Connected Cycle Pedals let you track bike rides, track down bike thieves

There are devices on the market that consumers can use to prevent the theft of their bicycle. There are also devices available that can track pedaling data for health and fitness reasons.

patent-claimedConnected Cycle Pedals, however, were designed to be used for both of those applications. Once connected to any bike, the device will instantly transform it into a smart bicycle. Although the pedals work in conjunction with an app for Android (4.0 and higher) and iOS (7 and higher) devices, users don’t need to have a smartphone with them while biking because the pedals have their own Internet connection. The pedals automatically record statistics and send them through the cloud to the app.

In addition, the pedals will send users an alert on their mobile device if somebody moves the bike because the product is equipped with a motion detection system. If the bike is taken, the pedals have built-in GPS that will help users track their bike down. Connected Cycle Pedals cost $220 and will ship in December. The campaign deal has been sweetened as the company is offering a SIM card with free lifetime data to its backers. Its maker set an Indiegogo campaign goal of reaching $50,000 by May 27.

To appeal to a wide array of cyclists, the pedals are available in five colors: black, blue, green, red and “tangerine” Particularly given how unobtrusively they blend into the bike and their easy installation, Connected Cycle Pedals should appeal to almost any cyclist who wants to track performance or their bike should it fall into the wrong feet.

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Connected Objects Sports

Smart Golf analyzes your swing to steer you to the green

Many golfers would love to hit the green more often than they do, but can’t due to busy schedules at work and home. That can make it especially difficult for a beginner golfer to learn the game.

Smart Golf is a connected golf club that can be used anywhere to improve one’s swing. It analyze golfers’ swings after connection via Wi-Fi to an Android, iOS or Windows Phone app. One of the light signals on the head of the club will indicate when the angle of the user’s stance is correct before swinging.

The application then records the users’ swings, helping them progress and discouraging bad habits. After swinging, an audio alert will indicate contact with a virtual ball. Owners can then instantly review all the information regarding the swing, including rhythm, tempo, speed and angle. Smart Golf costs $180 and ships in October. Its maker is looking to raise $20,000 by June 14.

There have been other products designed to improve one’s golf swing, including the Flex Putter Trainer. But Smart Golf holds promise because of its portability, the realistic club design, and that it can also function as a multiplayer interactive golf game.

 

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Connected Objects Pets

Where’s Nellie? This GPS locator mixes radios to pinpoint your pooch

It’s a common nightmare for dog owners: their beloved pet has run out of the house and they can’t find the pooch anywhere.

Where’s Nellie is a GPS tracking device designed to ease a dog owner’s mind if their pet runs off and can’t be found. The Nellie Beacon attaches securely to a dog’s collar and works in conjunction with an iOS and Android app. The beacon communicates up to six miles away with the included Nellie Base unit. If a dog is missing, the owner just has to press the locate button on the app and, in a few minutes, Where’s Nellie will pinpoint the location of the dog on the smartphone. It costs $179 and will ship in January. Its maker is hoping to raise $100,000 by May 16.

The device has promise despite coming along after several similar products, including Lucky Tag and WUF. However, Nellie seems to be superior to several rivals in a few ways. First, it makes use of several radio technologies. If the base unit is near the beacon, it uses Bluetooth LE technology. But if the dog is out of range, Semtech’s LoRa long-range wireless solution is used instead. If the pet owner wants to pinpoint exactly where the dog is, GPS is used.

Second, there are no monthly fees involved. Third, its batteries will last more than 365 days because the Beacon’s patent-pending technology uses low-power components and software, according to its Kickstarter campaign. That’s far more battery life than most rival products.

Categories
Connected Objects Sleep

Chrona slips in your pillow to size up your sleep

A good night of sleep is one of the most important things to maintain a healthy life. But all too often people have issues when trying to sleep, sometimes without even knowing it.

Chrona is a thin foam insert that transforms any pillow into a smart pillow. Combined with an app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone mobile devices, Chrona serves as a sleep optimization system that tracks and optimizes sleep using sound. The Bluetooth Low Enery device not only tracks users’ sleep by movement, but it also improves their sleep through the use of acoustics. Depending on where users are in their sleep cycles, Chrona uses low-frequency sounds to help them sleep more deeply or high-frequency sounds to prepare them to wake up. Chrona costs $169 and ships in December. Its maker has set a Kickstarter goal of raising $50,000 by May 18.

One of the product’s advantages is that it doesn’t require an uncomfortable wearable. But it faces competition from a growing number of products that promise pretty much the same thing, including Proper Pillow Plus and SliiP.

Categories
Connected Objects Kids/Babies Video Games

Playbrush uses interactive gaming to get kids to brush their teeth

Many parents with small kids know how hard it can be to convince some children to brush their teeth regularly, and to do it well.

Playbrush is a device that attaches to the end of any conventional toothbrush, transforming the brush into an interactive game controller that can be used in conjunction with iOS (and later Android) mobile devices. When the user starts the app on their smartphone or tablet, the gadget will automatically connect to it via Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Smart) technology. Playbrush costs $72 and will ship in December. Its maker is hoping to raise $51,887 by May 9.

Playbursh is a device with potential, especially for parents of young kids who either try and avoid brushing altogether or race through the process in just a few seconds. Turning brushing into a fun activity might very well be the trick to get at least some of them to change their ways. That said, it’s impossible to tell from the Kickstarter campaign video just how strong the initial game itself is. If it’s just one weak repetitive game, those kids may very well get bored after a week or two and parents will be left with the same problem they started with. To address this potential problem, the device’s maker plans to add multiple worlds, levels and characters.

 

Categories
Connected Objects Sleep

Proper Pillow Plus will help give you an amazing night of sleep

A comfortable pillow is just as important as a good mattress to provide a good night of sleep. Most pillows, even the best orthopedic ones, however, can’t quantify just how well the user is sleeping.

The Proper Pillow Plus is a smarter version of the existing Proper Pillow, created by the same inventor. The Proper Pillow was designed to support optimal alignment with both back and side sleeping positions. Proper Pillow Plus builds on that and adds the quantification of sleep patterns with the assistance of a mobile app. A sensor network of pressure receptors built into the pillow tracks the user’s sleep experience and relays that data directly to the Proper Pillow Plus app via Bluetooth Low Energy. Among other things, Proper Pillow Plus can gauge what sleeping position and head orientation generate optimal sleep conditions. Proper Pillow Plus costs $60 and ships in April. Its maker is hoping to raise $375,000 via an Indiegogo campaign by April 18.

The product holds promise if it can truly and accurately measure sleep patterns and, more importantly, if it’s comfortable. That said, these two variables are impossible to gauge from a campaign video. Those are two of the same issues faced by similar products that have sought crowdfunding, including ThinkPillow.

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Connected Objects

Diginote lets you take digital notes without the lag

Digital notepad devices are handy devices, allowing users to jot down ideas when there’s no pen or paper nearby. A common problem with most digital notepads, however, is that there’s a noticeable lag when writing.

The Diginote digital notepad is a device aims to overcomes this pesky lag issue. The device comes equipped with a stylus, but if users prefer, Diginote’s makers note that any ballpoint pen can be used on the device as well. A version of Diginote without Bluetooth capability has already been designed and costs $59. With its current Indiegogo campaign, its maker is hoping to release a Bluetooth model for $69, provided that the campaign can raise $5,000 by April 6. Both versions of the device are expected to ship in July.

The main issue with Diginote is that most of its capabilities can apparently already be done on existing mobile devices via third party apps. It’s also hard to tell from the campaign video alone if Diginote, as promised, truly incorporates a no-lag writing experience. It’s also unclear how comfortable and natural the writing experience is.

Categories
Automotive Connected Objects

SafeNet helps keep you and your family safe on the road

The car monitoring services offered by some car companies are useful, though they typically tend to be costly and can’t always be always be used with every car.

SafeNet aims to remedy this with a simple solution. SafeNet is a portable tracking and monitoring system that simply plugs into a car’s accessory jack. Once plugged in, it allows users to track, monitor and communicate with their vehicle. SafeNet is a small, square device that can be placed anywhere in a car where cellular reception is available. With no additional fees, SafeNet will even alert users when a car has been taken out for a spin by an adventurous teenager or an elderly parent. The device can even alert users when their car is being driven too fast. What’s more, if the car is an accident, SafeNet will automatically contact individuals on an emergency contact list. A 3G version of the device with just data costs $214. A 3G version with data and voice functionality is just an extra $5. While a 2G version is available for $199, the device’s maker recommends that U.S. based customers spring for the 3G model. The device is slated to ship in May provided it can raise $130,000 by May 3.

SafeNet holds promise as it features functionality that not all on board diagnostics (OBD) devices offer. For example, unlike Truvolo, SafeNet doesn’t require an app. Further, SafeNet offers users free access to its SkyNet service which hosts free online mapping software on its website. As an aside, the SkyNet name might not have been the greatest choice considering its association with the villainous intelligence system from the Terminator films.