Many parents with small kids know how hard it can be to convince some children to brush their teeth regularly, and to do it well.
Playbrush is a device that attaches to the end of any conventional toothbrush, transforming the brush into an interactive game controller that can be used in conjunction with iOS (and later Android) mobile devices. When the user starts the app on their smartphone or tablet, the gadget will automatically connect to it via Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth Smart) technology. Playbrush costs $72 and will ship in December. Its maker is hoping to raise $51,887 by May 9.
Playbursh is a device with potential, especially for parents of young kids who either try and avoid brushing altogether or race through the process in just a few seconds. Turning brushing into a fun activity might very well be the trick to get at least some of them to change their ways. That said, it’s impossible to tell from the Kickstarter campaign video just how strong the initial game itself is. If it’s just one weak repetitive game, those kids may very well get bored after a week or two and parents will be left with the same problem they started with. To address this potential problem, the device’s maker plans to add multiple worlds, levels and characters.
Particularly if you must share a bathroom with one or more folks, you know how easy it is for sinks to accumulate a massive amount of plain old stuff. Circle Organizer sacrifices a bit of porcelain real estate for a small city of circular braces designed to hold all manner of lotion, potions and toothbrush with motion. However, if you happen to use something with an odd-shaped container, it will have to stray from its organized home which will likely get quite goopy with things like errant toothpaste, soap and shaving cream. The Circle Organizer is due in May 2014 and is expected to retail for $50. Backers, though, can get it for $49 while early birds can snag up to a $10 discount from that.