Tag: sleep

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Spark smartwatch provides spark you need to stay awake

Most people have been in a situation where staying awake is required, but can’t be done because of how tired they are. Alarm clocks and watches with alarms are all well and good, but people don’t always know that they will be falling asleep and will need to be awakened.

The Spark smartwatch addresses that issue. The watch tracks the wearer’s movement velocity and frequency, which claims to detect how alert the person is using an algorithm developed by its maker. If the device detects that the user has fallen asleep, it will gently vibrate to wake the person back up.

Spark holds some promise, especially for college students pulling all-nighters, but it’s not clear if its one main application will be enough of a reason for many consumers to find it a compelling proposition. Some consumers may not find the watch’s plain design appealing enough to wear it on their wrists. It lacks the style of a smartwatch like Moment. Health fans, meanwhile, will likely prefer to reserve the real estate on their wrists for smartwatches or bracelets offering fitness tracking features.

Spark will ship in May of this year to those who back $99. The campaign has a goal of raising $8,000 by March 12.

Categories
Connected Objects Kids/Babies Wearables

NapTime alerts parents to baby’s crying, still gives them a chance to sleep

New parents have it rough. They have cute little babies who end up keeping them up all night. It’s difficult to be constantly watching a child when sleep deprived.

NapTime is a baby monitoring device that divvies up the parenting work. The device uses a camera and microphone to monitor the baby. When he or she wakes up and starts crying, the camera sends that information to the accompanying smartphone app. In turn, the app will send a notification to one of two wristbands worn by each parent. In order to keep things fair, the app alternates which wristband vibrates so only one parent will have to get up at a time.

In addition to its practical applications, the app also allows parents to customize their sleeping patterns. This way, if one parent is out of town, the app will only notify one wristband. Similarly, it also keeps track of the baby’s sleeping patterns. Each wristband is rechargeable via a micro USB cable. NapTime can also be used as a silent alarm clock so as not to wake a partner in bed.

New parents struggle with the jarring sensation of being woken up in the middle of the night to care for their child. With NapTime, both parents can get just a little bit more sleep. Its design is clever and will certainly delight parents everywhere. To make their product extra convenient, the creators should consider adding some kind of failsafe in case both wristbands run out of battery. Parents can have their very own system for $150 with delivery in June 2015. This product hopes to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Travel

Airport Armchair offers inflated pillow care for head and neck comfort

Those long trips on planes, trains and busses can be highly uncomfortable and rob a person of their sleep. But bringing a pillow is usually too bulky – unless it is inflatable.

Airport Armchair easily stores in a pocket or carry on bag when it is deflated. This air pillow is multifunctional in that it can be used for a neck or lower back for comfort. When used with the neck, it straps under the legs so that it stays in place during use.

It’s not entirely clear what it’s made of or how well it would do if thrown in the washer for cleaning. It’s also curious that it is called an armchair when it cannot offer simultaneous head, neck, arm and back support. This is another in a long line of products that aim to make long trips a little more comfortable. Backers may also want to check out the Winks, Forward Face Front Pillow, and Ostrich Pillow campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $50,000 AUD (~$41,600 USD). For $10 AUD (~$8 USD) backers get one Airport Armchair with an expected delivery of December 2015.

Categories
Sensors/IoT Sleep

Smartphone-adjustable ThinkPillow measures sleep, wakes you up

Sleep is one of the most important ways to stay healthy. Sleeping resets mind, body, and soul, giving the chance for healing. However, most have trouble with their sleep patterns, either waking up in the middle of a REM cycle or sleeping for too short of a time.

ThinkPillow is a smart pillow that is fully adjustable in height and firmness. It is designed with special technology aimed at fixing any kind of spinal pain. Not only does it come with comfort, however, but it also tracks your sleep patterns. With this data, the accompanying smartphone app can choose when to wake you so that you’ll feel alert and refreshed instead of bedraggled and exhausted.

ThinkPillow’s smartphone app charts sleep patterns over time and, as such, can be useful to physicians if something goes wrong. In addition, it lets the user track what they’re doing three hours before bedtime and can make suggestions based on those habits. For instance, if the user isn’t getting enough sleep, but drinks coffee every night, the app will tell them to cut it out. ThinkPillow also spies on family members and lets users see the sleep patterns of mom, grandma, dad or whoever else uses the device.

Getting the right amount of sleep can be truly difficult. They say you should get out of bed when you initially wake up in the morning, but if that’s too early for some, they’d rather get another half an hour of sleep. It’s great that ThinkPillow can tell when the person is actually asleep, not just when they intend to be asleep, and uses that to wake them up in the morning. While well-intentioned, the family sharing feature may get a little annoying to some. Though it is good for elderly family members who are too far away to check up on. One ThinkPillow can be had for $102 NZD (~$79 USD) for estimated delivery in April 2015. This product hopes to raise $50,000 NZD (~$38,800 USD) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Home Sensors/IoT

Ramos uses a Bluetooth beacon to coax your butt from the bed

Getting up in the morning for some is a delight and for others means terror. Getting up on the wrong side of the bed means a day full of disappointment. Sometimes the way we get up can determine the course of the day.

Ramos is an alarm clock that not only gets you out of bed, but does so the right way. The alarm consists of three parts, first the clock by the side of the bed, a Bluetooth sensor, and your smartphone. Upon waking up, the user must get out of bed and bring their smartphone close to the sensor. Distances can be customized, but most choose to put the sensor in the bathroom or kitchen next to the coffeepot. For heavy sleepers, Ramos requires a four digit code to really make them think.

The accompanying smartphone app allows for multiple alarms, snooze limits, multiple users, and more. A courtesy mode makes one initial beep, but then shuts up to consider letting others sleep. The user can also play their own music with or without a gradual loudness mode to make waking up a little more smooth. With a USB port, you can charge your smartphone so it can stay attached to the alarm and the alarm runs on battery when unplugged, so it can never be tricked.

Ramos has really thought of everything in terms of waking up. The movable sensor makes it easy to prepare for different kinds of days. Its various modes consider the comfort of bedfellows and family members. Best of all, it doesn’t wake you up with a greased pig-like chase around the room like some unconventional alarms do. For backers who want to get up in the morning without feeling like committing murders, try Ramos for a donation of $99 in either white or black for estimated delivery in May 2015. Ramos is hoping to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Health and Wellness Smartwatches/Bands

Embrace smartwatch watches out for epilepsy, other conditions

There are lots of smartphone apps out there that measure our health. When the necessary information is put in, the app interprets high levels of stress, not enough sleep or other detrimental health effects. The one huge flaw with this model, however, is that the app assumes the information it’s given is correct. It’s difficult for people to measure their own vital signs if they’re not doctors.

Embrace cuts out the guesswork. This smartwatch monitors health and then relays that information to an accompanying app so that the data it provides is accurate. Embrace looks at sleep patterns, heart rate, stress levels and is especially adept at helping those with epilepsy. For parents or spouses who have loved ones with epilepsy, they too can wear an Embrace. When a seizure starts, the information is given to the app which will then alert designated caregivers that help is needed.

Embrace comes in different colors and two sizes: large for adults and small for kids. Best of all, the campaign is matching each smartwatch purchased 1:1. That means that for every Embrace given to a backer, one will be given to a child in need with epilepsy. The body of the watch is medical grade, but the band is Italian leather, secured with a magnet.

This smartwatch takes the very idea of a smartwatch even further. Most focus on receiving texts or e-mails or even monitoring run times. Embrace serves a bigger purpose by monitoring help and has the potential to save lives. Other than the fact that the magnet may not be the best securing method for a watch, Embrace sets itself apart from other frivolous smartwatches. Backers can have their very own for a donation of $189 for delivery in July 2015. Embrace hopes to raise $100,000 on Indiegogo.

Categories
Music

Headband-like Dreamphones deliver lullabies, stay on through sleep

Headphones that actually stay put can be a difficult item to find. And trying to sleep while wearing them can be nearly impossible. Most of them lack comfort in a pretty major way.

Wireless headphones may very well be the rave of the future. This would resolve that looming problem that so many people encounter with the constant hassle of untangling. This is one nice feature that Dreamphones has to offer.  Other common issues that this product addresses are keeping earbuds in place while exercising and overall comfort. The headband-style product syncs with any Bluetooth 3.0 device, so even sleeping while listening to music is more comfortable than with standard earbuds. It’s not clear what the headband is made of, but it is indeed washable. The material is thick, and so may be too warm to wear comfortably if one happens to enjoy exercising outside during the warmer months. The user also must be within 30 feet of their Bluetooth device in order for the wireless speakers to function properly.

Overall, this product seems like it will have great appeal to music lovers, exercise enthusiasts, and those who like listening to music while falling asleep at night. It seems like it may be worth exploring further, especially for those who are fed up with the constant annoyance of dealing with tangled and knotted earbud wires. This campaign seeks to raise $5,000. Early bird backers get their own for $59.

Categories
Sensors/IoT

O2 can breathe easy as another sensor-filled tag

Wearable technology has been able to provide those living in the 21 century with some of the most amazing benefits on an individualized level. O2 is another one of those interesting creations. The device is coin-sized and will function for up to 90 days with Bluetooth 4.0. It appears that there are multiple O2 devices with the capability to function in various ways:  the product allows its user to gather information about the weather and environment, operates with reaching exercise and fitness goals, reports information about sleep patterns, or tracks personal belongings.

Currently, it is only compatible with iPhone 4s & later, iPad 2nd Generation & later, and Android devices with 4.3 or above. O2 has such a wide range of uses that users will rejoice in its versatility. However, the campaign could use a good proofreading as the spelling mistakes are quite distracting. This campaign seeks to raise $100,000 by December 23, 2014. For $49, backers get three products and may choose from black, white, sky blue, pomegranate red, or lemon yellow. Expected delivery is currently set for February 2015.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

STAR blends fitness, safety tracking

At this point, a wearable activity tracker is hardly the way to make a splash in the tech marketplace. It takes more than just calorie counting to make wearable tech worth purchasing.

The STAR by SenseGiz handles activity tracking just fine, but serves a more utilitarian purpose by enhancing the functionality of a phone as well. Offering gesture control, call notifications, sleep monitoring, workout reminders, and more, wearing a STAR either by strap or clip keeps information easier to access than by fishing a phone out of a pocket. Additionally, STAR offers a number of safety features including crash monitoring, panic buttons, and emergency notifications to local response services or friends and family. SenseGiz needs $30,000 to release the STAR, while buyers can clip one on for as little as $89, shipping out at the end of this year.

STAR is essentially trying to take the best features of several wearable devices and combine them into one easy to use package. The screen is well designed, but doesn’t have the technical punch of a smartwatch or high-end dedicated activity tracker. For those looking for just one device to handle as much as possible, STAR is worth a look.

Categories
Sleep

Sleep Sensei is a teacher that actually wants you to fall asleep

There are quite a few studies out there that report the importance of making sure that people get enough sleep each night. But there are some nights when sleep just seems impossible. For those who struggle with rest on a regular basis, Sleep Sensei is an alternative option that allows you to enjoy sleep without having to take any type of medication or prescription. The electronic gadget works with a pattern of LED lights that shine on a person’s closed eyes, and coaches them to sleep. There is a timer that lets you determine how long you want the session to last. It’s not clear whether the device is battery operated or requires electricity to function, however it seems like a great idea that will be appreciated by many who have sleep issues. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 by December 16, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $20, with an expected delivery of April 2015.