Tag: picture

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Connected Objects Imaging

Radian 2 makes regular cameras cool again, provides wireless time lapse effect

Many opt to use their smartphone cameras in lieu of actual cameras. DLSR cameras, however, still produce better quality shots, even though many don’t have the same cool effects that smartphone cameras have.

With the Radian 2, the follow-up to a successful Kickstarter project, photographers get the real camera quality with a fun time lapse effect. This small black and round product attaches to many different types of cameras via a USB port. Using Bluetooth, it connects to one’s smartphone via the accompanying app. The app helps to program the effect including the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. It also receives real time thumbnails of the shots being taken to ensure the camera is capturing what the photographer wants.

This product has lots of potential, especially as it adds extra features and capabilities to its menu. The myriad of camera mounts are quite appealing as well. One will cost backers a donation of $220 for estimated delivery in September 2015. Radian 2 will only enjoy success on Kickstarter if it raises $153,471 in funding.

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Lighting

Method Lights stick to the ceiling; illuminate your Picasso’s

Those who invest in an art collection know that the only way to display it is to use good lighting. Without the proper illumination, beautiful paintings and photographs can get lost on the wall.

Method Lights are one such way to light artwork. These lights feature control over dimming, temperature and timer. Best of all, these settings can be controlled with a  remote, making it easy to adjust from around the house. The battery runs for up to 200 hours. In addition, installation is easy, involving a peel and stick method to the ceiling. The product itself is white and features a single beam of light that goes as bright as 800 lumens.

The campaign calls this product the “perfect picture light”. While it’s certainly a good picture light, it doesn’t really stand out from other lights. Though its easy installation is a nice plus for those who don’t want to put holes in their walls. One goes for $125 for delivery in February, provided Method reaches its $2,000 Kickstarter goal.

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Accents

LeggyHorse takes your wall photos to another dimension

There’s something about framed art and photos that makes a house a home. Usually, the personality of these items is limited to a single dimension. But LeggyHorse has found a way to use picture frames to create new dimensions for framed art and photos. The frame itself seems to be made of leather and acrylic. It’s lightweight and doesn’t require any tools for pictures to be hung on the wall, but the campaign does not clearly indicate what alternative hanging method is used.

Once in the LeggyHorse frame, pictures can be hung on nearly any flat surface, including wood, plastic, glass and ceramic tile. This product seems like a great way to release that “inner artist” without having to put a great deal of effort and time into being creative and imaginative. For $46, backers get a set that includes 12 connect frames and four regular 4×6 frames. More support gets the larger sizes. Expected delivery is set for February 2015.

Categories
Imaging Smart Home

Butterfleye camera flits between security and fun functions

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.

Categories
Arts Connected Objects Imaging

Let the Internet make any wall a museum with Electric Objects

The Premise. The Internet offers so much in the way of art, but these beautiful pieces are stuck on screen. We decorate our houses with art on the wall, but must manually change them when the room’s ambience or our taste changes. 

The Product. Electric Objects is a computer designed to display art. Using apps and online databases, Electric Objects owners can change the image that the product shows. The screen doesn’t look like any traditional screen, making the EO blend in with other framed paintings and photographs. The frame comes in different colors and materials, just like traditional frames. With the app, it’s possible to change the image on the screen easily via wifi. 

The Pitch. Electric Objects’ campaign video shows different rooms and scenes with the product featured. It does well in showing backers how inconspicuous EO looks and how it blends right into any home without looking like technology. The creators talk about how they are partnering with museums and other venues interested in integrating EO into their collections. Logos of different blogs and news sources permeate the rest of the blog along with quotes of satisfied users. Electric Objects is looking to raise $25,000 in a month-long campaign on Kickstarter.

The Perks. Backers can enjoy the EO for $299 at the special Kickstarter price with estimated delivery in May 2015. This comes with a choice of either black or white and a wall mounting kit. The EO costs $499 at its regular price and at this tier, backers can choose between black, white and wood for the frame.

The Potential. Electric Objects has found a way for the beauty of art to meet the convenience of technology. Digital photo frames offer a way for people to enjoy their own photographs at home, but typically look conspicuous. In addition, they only feature photographed images instead of anything else. Electric Objects looks like any other frame, but has so much more to offer. With the vast gallery of images that its online library offers, this product demonstrates its amazing versatility. Its price is reasonable too, considering how much each new painting must cost. However, like most previous digital picture frames, you won’t be able to set it up too far from an outlet without getting creative with the wiring and it may be too bright at night for active use in a bedroom. All in all, Electric Objects is an excellent way for art buffs to explore different images from all around the world in their own homes. 

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Imaging

SELFIEME will help you capture the perfect social self-portrait

SELFIEMEAs the selfie grows more and more popular, people are looking for new ways to bask in the glory of… well, themselves. The SELFIEME is an iPhone 5 and Galaxy S4 case that comes with two detachable lenses. One is a fish eye lens while the other is a wide angle lens. The case comes in different colors and also has a separate slot for the lenses. It is unclear why this is just for selfies, however, when the lenses attach to the back camera and not the front “selfie” camera. For $49, vain backers can enjoy the SELFIEME with an estimated delivery date of September 2014. This product hopes to raise $21,000 in three weeks on Kickstarter. 

Categories
Technology

The smell-binding oPhone DUO is an olfactory factory

The Premise. Ever hear of that hoax involving a TV station claiming to transmit scent through a product called Smellovision? And hundreds of people claimed to smell it? It seems that these folks really wanted a way to smell scents through their devices. 

The Product. Introducing the oPhone DUO, a new way to send scents along with text messages to give your friends a full sensory experience. It is an iPad sized device with two pillars that raise up a diffuse scent to the receiver. Using several oChips that work together, the device is able to produce over 300,000 unique aromas. With its accompanying app, the user can take a photo of a place, food, drink, etc., choose different scents to pair it with and send it off to the recipient. From their phone, the recipient can open the image and scent and use the oPhone DUO to smell it. 

The Pitch. The stylish campaign video oozes Parisian style and sophistication, but offers no smells. In the remainder of the campaign, different photos show oPhone DUO users smelling the device, which looks a little funny. The creator also explains different attempts at smell-transmitting devices in the past that have failed, which doesn’t exactly evoke the sweet smell of victory. This odorous product hopes to raise $150,000 in its month and a half long Indiegogo campaign.

The Perks. For $199 backers can enjoy the oPhone DUO along with a set of different smelling oChips. Higher tiers offer more smell varieties. Reward tiers reach up to $20,000 with an estimated delivery date of April 2015. Stretch goals set at $300,000, $2,000,000, and $5,000,000 are set for more scents, a smaller oPhone DUO version and an aromatic camera. 

The Potential. Other products have tried and failed to produce scent to accompany pictures and sounds. For instance, the iSmell operated under the same concept as the oPhone, but failed miserably in its attempt to work. It seems a little strange to want to send someone else smells. And the device begs the question, does it deal in bad smells as well? Still, if aromas are your game and you’re looking for a way to connect on an olfactory level with a loved one, what better way than to do so with the oPhone DUO?

Categories
Connected Objects Imaging

Send real photos from anywhere in the world with LifePrint

The Premise. Photo sharing has never been easier with the growth and ease of using social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat. While it’s great to see photos of your family, friends, and favorite activities all around the world, almost all the photos we see are through a screen. Tangible photo albums and pictures are mostly things of the past because printing out high quality photos isn’t really convenient on a traditional home printer, and going to a convenience store just takes too much time.

The Product. The LifePrint is a compact wireless printer built for your smartphone that allows you to send and receive high-quality photo prints to anyone in the world instantly. Just like your typical social networks, you can connect to your family and friends who mean the most to you. But instead of posting it for them to “Like” on a computer screen, you can send them a picture they’ll love with the LifePrint. The sentiment of a hard copy photo is now much more accessible because the LifePrint only requires a cellular connection. A 3G connection is all that you need to open up the LifePrint app and print from anywhere in the world; it’s unclear what the monthly charge would be for the LifePrint’s connectivity.

The Pitch. LifePrint really pays close attention to the small details and the importance of visuals in its crowdfunding video. The video and the page show how the LifePrint is a portable and efficient way to make photos special again by making it clear how easy it is to share and receive photos with your network from anywhere in the world.

The Perks. There are two separate versions for Android and iPhone devices, but each costs the same at $99 for the early bird price. This is actually one of the better deals you can get on a portable photo printer, and especially one that has the capability to print anywhere like the LifePrint. That pledge comes with 10 photo prints, but if you want more, you can get the LifePrint with 100 photo prints for $145.

The Potential. LifePrint looks like a great bridge for sending photos to friends and family, particularly those who want something with a bit more permanence than a SnapChat product. The clunkier and more expensive LG PD233 Pocket Photo Printer and the Polaroid CZA-20011B PoGo Instant Mobile Printer both work over Bluetooth, which means your phone has to be in range in order to print a photo. However, other products that allow remote photo display and printing, such as the Presto printer and The LifePrint’s ability to connect people through photos means a lot more people will be hanging photos of their loved ones on their actual wall—not their Facebook wall.