Tag: iOS

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness

PharmAssistant keeps patients taking their prescriptions on time

The Premise. When being prescribed medication that needs to be taken regularly, it can be easy to get distracted and forget to take it on time. Add to that special instructions or medications that shouldn’t be taken together and it becomes more than a matter of keeping an eye on the clock.

The Product. PharmAssistant is a solution for people who need reminders on when and how to take different medications. The technology behind PharmAssistant relies on two key components: a smartphone with the PharmAssistant app, and the SmartBottle with a Bluetooth cap alarm. After programming which medications need to be taken and how often into the app, the app will send a blinking light and sound alarm to the cap of the bottle of the medicine, which will continue to go off until the bottle is opened. Additionally, a monitoring service is available that will send an alert to a third party’s phone such as a family member to notify them if a dosage has been skipped. While this service will have a small monthly fee, the bottles will continue to work without a subscription.

The Pitch. Using an animated sales pitch, the PharmAssistant team provide a somewhat over-the-top look at how hard it can be to keep medications straight. Backing up their product with shocking statistics on medication-related deaths in the United States alone, PharmAssistant sticks to the facts, explaining very simply what the product offers for both patients, family members, and even pharmacists. PharmAssistant needs $20,000 to complete the app, test the product, and then begin production.

The Perks. All of the PharmAssistant SmartBottles are expected to be delivered in December of this year. They range in price from $60 for two to $135 for six, and each set comes with a free three month minimum sample of their monitoring service.

The Potential. The intentions of PharmAssistant are noble, trying to make it easy to remember to take medicine or supplements for people every day, but the execution here is lacking. With the exception of the alarms on the SmartBottles themselves or the monitoring service add-on, there’s nothing here that isn’t offered by a simple, first-party phone notification. Programming in the extra instructions and the kinds of medicine do little when without the SmartBottles, all that would be printed with the prescription bottles anyhow. There are some good ideas with PharmAssistant, but the benefits probably won’t be enough to give this product a lasting appeal.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Wearables

SUNZs unlocks phones and does other things that phones also already do

sunzsOne little-known risk when it comes to phone security is that an often-unlocked touch screen may have smudges showing the security code needed to access the device. SUNZs is a buckle for any wristwatch that has an NFC chip inside that can be tapped on the screen to unlock the phone, access key features, and can be programmed as a quick launcher for up to eight apps. The product is pitched in an infomercial style, and claims to be “the coolest and most useful tool ever,” which may be overstating things a bit. Of course, since it requires NFC, the iPhone is out for now. SUNZs is available in six colors, and will ship out in August for backers who pledge $13.

Categories
Connected Objects Health and Wellness

The Quitbit smart lighter aims to help a bad habit go up in smoke

The Premise. On nearly any trip in public, it’s getting to the point where it would be uncommon not to see somebody wearing a fitness tracker. Getting healthy is a priority for thousands of people, and using technology to do so is a no-brainer these days. But in addition to encouraging good habits, there’s one habit that many people could stand to break in becoming healthier.

The Product. The Quitbit is a pocket-sized tracker for how many cigarettes a person smokes in a day. It, along with its proprietary app, can log how many cigarettes have been smoked, how long it’s been since a cigarette, and can even disable features until a threshold has been met. It’s able to do all of these because the Quitbit is also a flip-up lighter that functions like a car cigarette lighter, with heat coils. The device lasts a week without being recharged and can upload smoking data to social media, either in terms of how fewer cigarettes have been smoked in a week, or how much money has been approximately saved by reducing smoking.

The Pitch. The Quitbit’s campaign is extremely professional and confident, from the design of the product itself down to the supplemental materials available on its Kickstarter and Web site. The entire brand’s attitude is one of helping, not shaming, and that’s part of what makes this product so appealing for those that are cognizant of what smoking does to the human body. Quitbit needs $50,000 to get funded for prototyping, tooling, certification, and manufacturing.

The Perks. The Quitbit lighter and app are available to backers who pledge $79, and will be out at the end of this year. The lighter/tracker can be engraved with a personalized touch for $149.

The Potential. There’s a great amount of potential here for people who want to quit smoking by degrees, using hard data to do so. Because the Quitbit doubles as a lighter, it’s something that no smoker would want to be without, and the social aspects will get those who want to see their friends and family lead a more healthy lifestyle get involved with messages of encouragement. The design is simple, intuitive, and sharp, and the concept is unique enough to make this a great tool in the fight to quit smoking for good, perhaps then being passed on to a friend who can make use of it.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Input

GoRemote offers Bluetooth phone control in harsh conditions

goremotePhones and tablets have a multitude of accessories designed to make them more powerful when used together, so why not be able to control all of that when you’re not holding the device? The GoRemote is a Bluetooth Low Energy remote that is durable, waterproof, and has a battery life of two years. With wristband and car or bike mount attachments, the GoRemote controls all iOS devices with the ability to activite the camera shutter, activate Siri, or move through audio or video files. The small design and durable production make this an ideal control for those with active lifestyles. The GoRemote will be out in October of this year for $35.

Categories
Smart Home

SAM lets you automate any part of the home just by plugging it in

The Premise. Everyone wants an automated home that they can control with their phone or even one that can sense what needs to be turned on or off without any user input. Dozens of companies promise this feature, but one wants to really deliver on the mixture of functionality and ease of use.

The Product. SAM is a smart outlet that comes in both single-plug and power strip varieties. Using environmental sensors to monitor time of day, temperature, electrical usage, motion, and light, SAM can be programmed to control any kind of product plugged into its outlets. Additionally, SAM can be controlled using an app to know if a device has been left on or not, or to start it while away from the home.

The Pitch. The idea of having a little kid act out the part of SAM and take care of the home while the adults are out working and celebrating a romantic anniversary is pretty creative. Of course, the actual product itself is more high-tech and less human, but the functioning principles are the same. Getting a chance to see the SAM app and how easy it can be to control any kind of device remotely or even without any user feedback beyond the initial programming phase is what makes this product so enticing. SensePlug.io, the creator of SAM, needs $75,000 primarily for tooling and appropriate certification.

The Perks. Single-outlet SAM plugs are available in black or white for $49. The SAM Strip with three outlets is available for $109. Both items will be delivered in November 2014. A beta option with early production units of the Plug and the Strip will be out in September for backers who pledge $299. A “full house” tier is available as a 10-pack for $450.

The Potential. Smart plugs or outlets like these are pretty much the backbone on which home automation is founded on these days, so the concept of SAM is nothing new. Watching the videos and getting to see SAM in action however, it seems like a great step forward for the concept. Based on how programmable the plugs and power strips are, complete with multiple sensors for conditions, full overrides, and the ability to communicate with one another, SAM seems like the simplest, most effective solution for smart plugs. There have certainly been other efforts that are gaining some momentum, like Belkin’s WeMo for example, but the execution here is what elevates SAM to the next level.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Firefly matches you to those with similar interests beyond glowing wristwear

fireflyGoing out to socialize isn’t the same as it was even a decade ago. With smartphones and social media, most people out in the bar or the club have their phone up the whole time to check messages or take pictures, not notice the people around them. Firefly is a wearable LED band that checks messages and sends out Facebook profiles and common interests, lighting up with a specific pattern if someone else in the area has similar interests, allowing them to meet and talk face to face. In terms of design and functionality, the Firefly is similar to Wave, but adds the pivotal local matchmaking element. Firefly will hit the town in October and is available for $69.

Categories
Connected Objects Music

M1 speaker sits in the corner, may still exhibit good behavior

m1Part of the cartoon ideals of home automation that sell it to so many buyers is the discreet, sometimes imperceptible way that a homeowner interacts with his or her property. The M1 Speaker from Nepsu is designed to follow that philosophy of being functional yet not take up space. These tetrahedral speakers can fit into the corners of any room and mount snugly, working with Bluetooth devices and Android and iOS apps to allow home automation control and audio enjoyment without being bulky and taking up space. However, these speakers are wired, as the out of sight/out of mind design would be compromised if the speakers needed to be repeatedly charged. Alas, Wi-Fi support would allow for longer range for nifty multi-room audio. The M1 speaker will fill rooms with sound in September for $199 CAD.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Connected Objects Sensors/IoT

FIND 2.0 searches for its spot in a crowded market of Bluetooth finders

find20With the number of crowdfunded solutions to lost objects out there, it’s surprising to think that anything is still lost. FIND 2.0 is another keyring solution that works in tandem with a smartphone app to alert users when they are leaving the vicinity of belongings, or through a reverse notification, the phone itself. Where FIND 2.0 falls short is in its manual search, where the FIND vibrates instead of the app using proximity detection like its competitors, but the ability to crowdsource a truly lost item and have anyone with a FIND app privately ping its location back if it is moved past is a great addition that would make this invaluable if widely adopted. FIND 2.0 is available for $17 and ships in June.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Input Tablet Accessories

BestBoy straddles your phone’s back for blind text input

The Premise. Mobile devices open up the possibility to communicate and collaborate from any location, any time. However, the need to move the keyboard to a touch screen has also reshaped communication down from the blog post and the email to the tweet. What can be done when a full-length message needs to be sent on the go?

The Product. BestBoy is a chorded keyboard that attaches to the back of mobile devices and offers six buttons that users can press to type any characters they should need in communicating. The device operates on Bluetooth Smart technology and offers Braille support, buttons for gaming, and a web-based app is even available for users to get used to how they can type with the keyboard. With practice, using the BestBoy will offer desktop keyboard-style typing speeds and reduce the risk of Repetitive Strain Injury.

The Pitch. The primary video for the BestBoy campaign is literally all talk, with no sign of the product itself. A video is then shown from an older prototype from 2011, with a bit more of a comedic angle. It shows off how the product would look in action and also gives viewers an idea of how long this keyboard has been in development. The explanation of the campaign goes into what steps that journey required, and how the development of Bluetooth Smart has given it new life. BestBoy wants to raise $50,000 to pay for the prototype and production phases.

The Perks. BestBoy is offering its unique brand of control for those that pledge $23 to their campaign. Larger quantities are available from two to 40 keyboards ranging in price from $53 to $699.

The Potential. Will we see the BestBoy at Best Buy? Probably not any time soon. As the developers admit. the chorded keyboard is nothing new, with the Infogrip BAT serving a niche for years now. The solution isn’t extremely advanced or innovative like Grippity, but the company is wise to point out less obvious applications of this device. The idea of having a functional, fast keyboard for mobile devices is one thing, but if it takes learning, one might as well learn Braille while they’re at it. Having real physical buttons to press during mobile gaming is attractive as well, but in a lot of ways, it seems the market has spoken when it comes to keyboard redesigns, especially when two-in-one mobile devices offer such sleek, portable full-size keyboard options.

Categories
Kids/Babies Nutrition/Hydration

Sleevely uses Bluetooth to bracket baby’s bottle binging

The Premise. Babies aren’t the best communicators. Parents can get a general idea of a baby’s mood, but beyond that, the reasons for that mood are hard to come by. Any insight a parent can have to stop the crying and fussing is extremely welcome.

The Product. Sleevely is a device that goes around a baby bottle and solves one of the mysteries of parenthood: has the baby eaten? By monitoring the amount of milk or formula in the bottle and when the contents are consumed, Sleevely reports to its app how much a child has eaten or if they’ve eaten at all. That data is all recorded so that parents can monitor their baby’s feeding throughout the day whether they’re at home, work, or anywhere else. With the correct data input to the app, Sleevely can even notify parents when a baby’s meal is going bad and needs to be replaced.

The Pitch. Inventors and cousins Ike Ofner and Dan Gilai have a lot of fun in their introductory video, and it’s hard to not to smile as the product is explained whether viewers are parents or not. For those that want to know the how more than the why, the campaign information discusses which bottles are compatible, how the Sleevely transmits information using Bluetooth, and how the patent pending sensors detect the amount of fluid in the bottle.Sleevely needs $85,000 to move from prototype to production.

The Perks. A Sleevely will set backers back $29, and parents-to-be can look forward to this product’s due date in December. Blue and pink variants are available at $39, Sleevely can be personalized with a baby’s name at $49, and a bodysuit is added in at the $60 level.  A baby shower gift package that also includes a compatible bottle starts at $70. All perks beside the basic white model should arrive January 2015.

The Potential. At first glance, it’s hard to see what the market would be for a beer (formula?) koozie for a baby bottle, but once the app is brought into the picture, the Sleevely is a very attractive, affordable option for parents. Raising infants is an imprecise art that requires extreme care, so any product that can help take the guesswork out of the process is highly appreciated. It’s hard not to like the Sleevely or the people behind it, and the parenting market will probably eat the product up. Though the prototype is iOS-focused, future Android compatibility due by the product’s launch will be a welcome addition.