Tag: tether

Categories
Podcasts

Backerjack Podcast #23: Collapsible Drones and Medication Minders

In Episode 23 of the Backerjack Podcast, Steve and Ross check out some of the latest products seeking funds and preorders, including:

  • Lumma, a pill sorting and dispensing device that reminds people to take their meds and alerts if they don’t.
  • Photokite Phi, a soft drone that runs on a tether for easier control and folds up into a tube for easy portability.

We also mentioned a few other products we wished we had more time for, including the Passfort password entry accessory and the OrbMi home messaging device.

Download the episode or listen below, subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and subscribe to the Backerjack Daily Digest to make sure you catch all the gadgets we’re covering. Also check out Steve’s great work on Apple World Today!

Categories
Imaging

Photokite Phi is a drone that’s kept on a tight leash

Lots of people are excited about the potential of drones for package delivery ad other lofty tasks, but today one of the key applications is fancy camera work. Don’t be fooled. It takes a lot of work and expertise to make an autonomously one-shot music video masterpiece.

Indeed, the hardest part of drones is not getting them in the air but controlling them. That’s the inspiration for the Photokite Phi, an action cam-carrying drone that is meant to be tethered. In effect, it is something of a flying selfie stick. This doesn’t mean, though, that the Phi doesn’t have its charms. For one, like a folded kite, it’s relatively portable, folding into a cylindrical case. Its soft propellers minimize the potential danger from even the tethered ride going awry and its leash winds into the body of the device. It can also be controlled via wrist gestures.

Continue reading “Photokite Phi is a drone that’s kept on a tight leash”
Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

ReelKlip leashes your smartphone to prevent pavement pounding

ReelKlipLots of smartphone cases can protect your phone if it falls, but ReelKlip takes a more proactive approach. Acting like one of those retractable badge holders used for access at many workplaces, the product consists of a 1.5″ belt-mounted disc and a polyurethane band of up to 3.5″ that snugs tightly around your smartphone that are joined by a 3.5′ feel that lets you bring your phone up to your face. However, applications such as in-car navigation or passing around a photo of your new precious will likely require untethering. A video which shows a wince-inducing montage of phone breakage scenarios drives home the point. A nice complement to a protective case and screen guard, ReelKlip should be available for backers for $17 in March 2014.