Tag: mobile

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Cell Phone Accessories

YankCharger prevents cellphone yanking, cord breakages

Just about anybody who regularly charges a cellphone in public places knows how annoying it can be to have their device knocked off of a table while waiting for it to finish charging. Especially when the phone winds up breaking.

The YankCharger, from a Bend, Oregon inventor solves that issue. The anti-yank charging cord has a plug built into it to limit the amount of force that can be applied to a phone charging port. The cord’s reliable connection ensures that the phone will not go flying, no matter how hard the cable is yanked on. Backers who pledge $20 will get a YankCharger with microUSB connection and those who pledge $24 will get a version with lightning connection for iPhones when the device ships in April. The expected retail price of the cord isn’t known. Its inventor is trying to raise $4,500 by Jan. 27 so that he can make a minimum order of product and get the YankCharger custom-tailored to his specifications.

The charging cord has a very narrow purpose, but one that many consumers may find appealing. It’s not clear, however, if consumers will be willing to spend more than $20 just for a cord.

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Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries Connected Objects Tech Accessories Technology

PowerLite provides more powerful smartphone camera performance

The multi-functional PowerLite from Australia serves as a power charger, as well as a light accessory for iPhones and Android smartphones. As a charger, the PowerLite provides six extra hours of battery life, while the thinner PowerLite Slim version adds three hours of battery life. The device uses 14 light emitting diodes (LEDs) to generate up to 630 lumens of brightness, about equal to a typical 40-watt light bulb. The light is controlled through an app for iPhones and Android phones. Users can opt to keep the device in flash mode or have the LEDs stay on constantly to record a video or illuminate a shot. PowerLite also serves as a remote selfie camera shutter. The device can also be used to find a misplaced smartphone. Pressing a button on it sets off an alert for the phone to make a sound.

Backers who provide $19 for the Kickstarter campaign will get either SKU of the device when it ships in June. That’s 58% less than PowerLite’s maker expects it to cost at retail. Its maker is looking to raise $60,000 Kickstarter.

PowerLite’s multi-functionality and slim design gives it a clear advantage over rival devices including the Lume Cube. The relatively low pricing is also a plus.

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Smartwatches/Bands Technology Wearables

Colorful Miiya connects kids to physical activity

For a kids’ smartwatch to be appealing to its targeted customer base, it must accomplish a few things. On the one hand, it needs to feature all the usual technology that tracks a user’s activity, while at the same time making it fun to wear and use. The device also needs to be visually appealing enough for kids to want to wear it. Making it available in multiple colors helps.

Miiya, designed by a pair of Belgium-based brothers, has been created with those features in mind. It is being fielded in four colors: blue, orange, red and white, each featuring the same cute original Miiya character icon in a superhero cape. The smartwatch tracks the activity of its young users and they are given gold stars each day as rewards for physical activity.

A Miiya app for smartphones gives parents direct access to daily reports on their kids’ activities. The device uses Bluetooth LE to synchronize with the phones. It is already compatible with iOS (starting with the iPhone 4S) and will also be compatible with Android (expected in May) and then Windows Phone and Blackberry. The device’s “Dynamic Safety” feature enables parents to be warned if a child goes too far away from them and can indicate where the child has gone.

The Bluetooth signal range, however, is only about 200 feet. Interference can also be generated by a lot of objects, and that will reduce the signal range. The device is also waterproof and dust-resistant. Backers can buy a watch at the “super early bird” price of $75, a 40% discount off its normal price, for delivery in May. The device’s creators are looking to raise $50,000 on Indiegogo.

Miiya compares favorably to other kids’ smartwatches, including Jumpy. Miiya seems especially appealing at its $75 super early bird pricing, much less so at its regular price. Another barrier may very well be the Miiya name, which sounds uncomfortably similar to Mii, the name of the digital avatar in Nintendo’s videogame systems.

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Cell Phone Accessories Technology

InstaMote instantly turns your smartphone into a remote

Consumers continue to be attracted to new solutions that reduce the need for multiple remote controls in their homes. The InstaMote from Switzerland is the latest device that allows a smartphone to be used as a remote control, eliminating the need for all other remotes cluttering the couch and coffee table.

InstaMote attaches to a smartphone and transforms it into an infrared remote. Every infrared electronic device in the home is compatible with InstaMote, including air conditioners, fans, DVD players, Blu-ray players, game consoles and TVs. InstaMote is compatible with all iOS 5 and newer smartphones, as well as all Android 2.3 and newer smartphones. InstaMote has a built-in battery that will last about six months under heavy usage, and can be easily replaced. The device also has a larger working range, at up to 15 meters, than typical remote controls and more compatibility than standard universal remotes also. The first functional prototype of the device is ready now, but its maker doesn’t say at the campaign’s Indiegogo site when the final version will ship. The early bird price is $9 and its regular price is $12. Its maker is looking to raise only $500 by mid January.

Once upon a time there were easily a half dozen such devices on the market. There is little about InstaMote that breaks new ground and users of Windows Phone and other smartphone devices that aren’t Android or iOS are out of luck. But the price is right for Android and iOS smartphone owners and should make it worth a try for many of them.

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Connected Objects Technology Wearables

Multifunction dog tag boosts luck of finding lost pooch

Dog owners dread the idea of losing their pooch. So, the idea of a smart, wearable device is a no-brainer for many pet owners.

The new Lucky Tag, developed by Los Angeles-based Beaconpliance, is a dog wearable device that combines three main features into one. The on-collar tag can be used as a tracking device to find a missing dog, but also offers location-based service social functionality among nearby dog owners, along with pet healthcare functions. The tag uses beacon technology to help users find their dogs. Each device has a unique ID configured for each dog and constantly sends out a Bluetooth signal as far as 250 feet for Android and iOS smartphones nearby to detect and locate the ID.

The “Find My Dog’ feature helps users locate their missing pooches with the collaborative efforts of Lucky Tag devices nearby. Lucky Tag owners can also exchange contact info with each other, enhancing the device’s social functionality. The device, meanwhile, tracks and logs each dog’s activity level and ambient temperature, and syncs the data with the user’s smartphone. Early bird backers can get a Lucky Tag by pledging as little as $29 and are expected to get the device in February. Beaconpliance is looking to raise $40,000.

Lucky Tag supposedly consumes less power than similar devices like Pawda and Tagg that use GPS technology. But GPS devices cover a much larger area. As Beaconpliance concedes on its Kickstarter campaign, the biggest challenge with beacon technology is that it relies on the collaborative support and power of a mass community. That means unless many consumers buy the device for their dogs, a key part of its functionality will not work well. That is a major downside of the device. But the relatively low pricing may be enough of an incentive for some consumers to buy one.

Categories
Smart Home Technology

Linkio offers affordable home automation solution

Mobile home automation systems offer the undeniably appealing ability to turn off your appliances and other electronic devices when you forgot to shut them before leaving the house from anywhere. French newcomer Linkio is yet the latest company to enter the growing category with an affordable and simple solution.

The company isn’t shy about celebrating native language with the system’s components. The main component of the white Linkio system is “Le Hub,” a central control unit resembling a router that communicates with the rest of the Linkio system and wirelessly links the user’s mobile phone to their electronics in conjunction with “Le Remote,” a remote infrared controller that looks somewhat like a typical smoke detector. A separate “Le Plug” connector allows any electronic device that it’s plugged into to be turned on or off via a free mobile app. Also part of the system is “Le Switch,” a component designed to replace mechanical wall switches that enables lights and ceiling fans to be controlled manually and through the app. The targeted price of a full Linkio system package is €99 (~$123), and it includes one each of the Linkio components.

Linkio’s system is targeted at consumers who aren’t interested in buying an entire smart home ecosystem, but instead want the ability to control just a few of their electronic devices from outside the home. Linkio will also sell plugs individually at €19 (~$24) each. The company’s Kickstarter goal is to raise €50,000 (~$60,000), in order to mass produce the finalized versions of the Linkio components. Linkio expects electrical design optimization to be finished in January and for the finalized product to follow in October.

There’s been similar home automation system concepts before. The Webee smart home system is just one of many competing products to seek crowdfunding. Belkin’s WeMo Switch, meanwhile, is a competing product that’s already widely available. An advantage that Linkio has over some of its rivals is that it’s an independent system that requires no server dependency. Also, unlike at least some rival devices, Linkio supports Windows Phone in addition to the more ubiquitous iOS and Android. But the home automation category is just too crowded to expect Linkio will become a major mass-market consumer product.

 

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Connected Objects Technology

Keewifi stresses simplicity in security with new router

Routers are the essential gateway that connect our many home gadgets to the Internet, but setting them up can be a major hassle. Chinese newcomer Keewifi has focused on simple connectivity with a new $99 router that enables devices to securely access Wi-Fi without the need for passwords.

The plug-and-play device is small and uses the 802.11ac wireless networking standard, along with proximity technology to authenticate mobile devices as an alternative to standard Wi-Fi passwords. Keewifi stresses on its Kickstarter campaign page that by tapping one’s mobile device on the router one can set up a connection in only 30 seconds. But the company’s video on the site shows that when a mobile device is even held closely to the Keewifi, connection is achieved and a circular blue light glows on top of the router. The device needs to be held within just 2 inches of the syncing panel. Keewifi is looking to raise at least $50,000 on Kickstarter. The company expects to fulfill initial units to backers in July.

There are, of course, plenty of routers on the market, some of them cheaper than Keewifi and many of them from brands familiar to U.S. consumers, including Linksys and Netgear. The new router’s simplicity will likely be appealing to many consumers and stands to make it a hit, but only if Keewifi manages to get decent distribution.

 

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Connected Objects Technology Wearables

Smarter strides made possible by Stridalyzer

Knee problems make up a significant percentage of all injuries to runners, hence the common affliction known as runner’s knee. That’s why ReTiSense, the Bangalore, India-based maker of Stridalyzer smart insoles, made the prevention of knee injuries its top priority when developing the product.

Stridalyzer analyzes the user’s stride and gait and can predict if that person is headed for an injury. The insoles have integrated multiple sensors that detect how the user’s foot lands, rolls and pushes off the ground. All the user has to do is put the insoles in their running shoes, turn on the accompanying iOS (and, by the time of launch, Android) app, and start running. Stridalyzer automatically understands the user is moving and will start collecting data about the run from each of the two included insoles. The insoles come with a USB charging cord and each insole battery charges in about 15 minutes.

The insoles are similar in size and use similar materials as the insoles that are used in typical high-end running shoes. The company will design the insoles in just a few common sizes initially, but it will be possible to trim the insoles by one size, using scissors, so they can fit more snugly. The company plans to launch an ExpertConnect premium service to be used with the insoles a few months after the product ships in the spring. The service will enable runners to get more individualized and directed advice from running experts, coaches or trainers. Backers who pledge at least $90 will get the insoles in April or May. ReTiSense is looking to raise $25,000 by Jan. 7.

Certainly the product seems like a steal at the early bird pricing levels, especially when you consider that the similar—but apparently less advanced—UniverSole was priced at $200 a pair. Even at its regular price of $129-$139, many consumers may see Stridalyzer as a good deal.

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Smartwatches/Bands Technology Wearables

Uno Noteband touts Spritz technology for fitness tracking

The Uno Noteband—no relation to the restaurant chain or the card game—features fitness tracking technology like several other wearable bracelets on the market. But what separates the Uno Noteband from the crowded field of competing devices is its use of a new technology called Spritz.

Spritz is a reading compression technology that enables one-touch reading of notifications on the device’s OLED display. Reading via the Noteband can be done up to 80% faster than on typical mobile devices because it eliminates the scrolling function that typically requires two hands. As a result, the user can get through a long email message after just one click. The device notifies users of any alert that a smartphone would receive, such as Facebook, Instagram, Google Calendar, Twitter or Uber. Uno vibrates when it receives an alert and the user just has to touch the Noteband to display the message. The device, compatible with the Android and iOS operating systems, also features an accelerometer that enables fitness goals and syncs with the Apple Health and Google Fit platforms. Shipping will occur in April for a donation of $129. The team of technology veterans that developed the Uno Noteband are pushing to meet a goal of $50,000.

The Uno Noteband’s Spritz functionality is a clear advantage over what several rival fitness tracking wearables offer. The device is also considerably cheaper than the equally promising Atlas.  The only drawback for now seems to be the Uno branding.

Categories
Technology Wearables

Timer Smart Ring unlocks doors, phones and hearts

Fitness tends to be the main application featured in smart wearable devices. But the maker of the Timer Smart Ring is focusing on other uses for its device, including the ability to use the ring to open intelligent door locks, unlock mobile phone screens, or pass along digital business cards to other mobile phones using NFC technology.

The ring supports most intelligent door locks on the market that use 13.56 MHz, including locks made by Samsung. Users can set the ring to unlock the screen of select mobile phones, whether or not the phone already uses other unlocking systems, such as a gesture code or password. The ring is compatible with Android and Windows smartphones, but not iOS. As shown in the campaign’s somewhat corny video, the ring can also be used to make romantic connections in public places by taking advantage of the device’s NFC. The ring designed for male customers is made with titanium, while the female version is made of 18K rose gold. Its maker is looking to raise €39,000 (~$48,600). Backers who pledge €39 (~$49) will get a ring in a choice of black or white.

Unlike similar products such as the Arcus fitness ring, the Timer Smart Ring actually looks similar to a fairly standard metal ring.  That, and its reasonable price, will make it especially appealing to some male consumers who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing some of the other smart rings on the market that seem to be designed only for female users. But the device’s unmemorable, and even downright strange, name stands to make it a tough sell. An even bigger challenge, however, is its lack of iOS support.