Tag: wireless

Categories
Smart Home

Smoke Audio smoke alarm sends alerts around home with Bluetooth

It’s a given that everyone reading this has a combination carbon monoxide/smoke alarm in their home. Likewise, it’s also a given that most of the time it does nothing at all. Does its potentially life-saving capability give it a pass? That’s the question the team over at Smoke Audio asked themselves, and, as a result, have set out to give the humble smoke alarm a makeover.

Smoke Audio’s take on the nondescript alarm combines it with Bluetooth audio capabilities so that user can stream audio from smartphones, tablets, and PCs. The product can work with existing wiring or already installed alarms, allowing it to be easily placed in any home. To all those who think a music-playing carbon monoxide/smoke alarm jumps out as irresponsible, the team made sure that all music functionality is switched off the moment anything strange is detected, ensuring users will hear the alarm when they need to. All those interested in the product can grab one for $90, 30% off the retail price. Smoke Audio is looking for $50,000 by November 2014.

Smoke Audio’s basic premise is an intelligent, if simplistic, one. By just adding Bluetooth audio capabilities, something that is required in all our homes becomes that much more engaging. The fact that it’s also attracts as you’ll never have to change out the battery. Smoke Audio also bills their device as a low cost alternative to multi-room wireless systems. While installation is probably much easier than those systems, its cost might still prohibitive for many. With each unit flaunting a retail a price of about $130 each, even having to purchase two for a product that isn’t portable by nature will be a hard sell. Its one talent may end up being a one trick pony, too, something Smoke Audio is sure to address with future iterations. We’ll see if their campaign will need their own alarm come mid-November.

 

Categories
Connected Objects Music

Core multiroom speaker system claims superior audio separation

Streaming audio wirelessly may seem like an old concept, but in terms of audio fidelity, convenience, and uniform functionality across multiple devices, the technology is only really starting to blossom. With options like Play-Fi and AllPlay beginning to come into their own, devices like the Sonos are starting to set the standard in home audio.

The Core is a similar multiroom audio solution that takes into consideration how technology has grown around it and how to interact with it rather than alongside. With Wi-fi functionality, NFC phone syncing with the tap of the device, and even Bluetooth gesture control, the Core is loaded with features. It can also handle answering phone calls in any room as easily as it handles streaming music, and can be used to charge devices using its 12-hour battery and USB port.

In terms of audio, Core delivers a uniform acoustic bubble in its space, giving depth and presence to the sounds without the use of multiple speakers in a room. Like Bose and other high-quality home audio products, Core sets out to do more with one speaker than many audio systems can do with two or more. Mass Fidelity, the company responsible for the creation of Core are looking to raise $48,000 to amp up their tooling department to be able to handle the extra load of creating the Core. The Core costs $389 to pick up, but for those who want a little more bass, they’ve added a wireless subwoofer to the package as well for $229. Products will begin shipping out in March.

What’s great about the Core is not only does it offer clear, sharp audio that fills any space, but it does so with a space-saving design and comes loaded with convenient features. Audiophiles will be quick to notice and praise the power of this speaker. In terms of an actual user experience, Core seems far, far more convenient than many of its competitors when it comes to syncing devices with and using the product.

Categories
Connected Objects Music

mBox turns Bluetooth speakers into a Sonos competitor

With their ease of use and portability, Bluetooth speakers are all the rage these days. If you try to take the same utility into the home, you quickly find that isn’t the case. Before, wires all over your home tied your speakers down. Now, there are wireless multi-room systems that lock you into proprietary technology so that companies can squeeze as much money as they can out of you. The mBox is looking to liberate music lovers from this predicament by offering a Bluetooth music hub capable of receiving audio and sending it out to up to six separate Bluetooth speakers of any kind.

If you happen to have enough Bluetooth speakers in your house, the mBox mini turns any speakers into one, making sure you’re never without. The versatility this product provides by opening up the multi-room setup is unmatched. This is a killer provided it can produce audio worthy of listening to and for $195, it better. The project’s creator is looking for $40,000AUD by the end of his 30 day campaign.

Categories
Wearables

KUFF is tough, lets you wear your files where you flex

With mounting concerns about privacy in the cloud, many people are going back to hard, physical storage to make sure their information is safe. While traditional USB sticks are portable, most of the time they’re flimsy. While hard drives can store tons of data, they usually aren’t portable and are prone to breaking down sooner or later. The creator behind KUFF is looking to perfect a product that features the best of both worlds.

Kuff is a wearable solid state storage that is worn around the wrist and features capacities from 16GB all the way to a whopping 1TB. An LED is planned for presenting custom information with the help of a developer SDK,. Although the Kickstarter campaign isn’t addressing the product’s clunkiness, it aims to fund the display along with wireless charging. Other features on the docket include connectivity with Bluetooth 4.0, iOS and Android companion apps, USB 3.0, and waterproofing using a nanocoating.

If the creator can put KUFF on a diet, get wireless connectivity and charging down, and continue marketing to media professionals and the DJ circuit, he may have a winner — he’ll just need to hit his goal of $21,000 to find out. One of these wearable storage devices will set backers back $110 with estimated delivery in December 2014.

Categories
Technology

The Guardian tells e-snoopers to get off of your cloud

guardianConcern about our digital information is at an all-time high. Between cloud services skimping on security, credit cards being swiped, major banks being hacked, and the NSA sniffing around, it’s difficult to confidently secure valuable files. BoltKey’s Guardian intends to make it easy. The silver slab offers users military grade encryption and wireless backup of up to 3TB of data, coupled with two-factor authentication requiring the included BoltKey accessory. The product’s encryption and storage may dwarf others, but products like WEDG or the Sherylbox offer more options with which to interact with data. Early birds can get their own Guardian for $199 in November 2014, while tardy turtles will get theirs in December 2014 for $249.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

StopMee removes wires from the smartwatch market

stopmeeWe’ve seen many smart watches lately, but most people don’t appreciate the inconvenience of having another device to look after. If such a smartwatch charged wirelessly, that might be another story. StopMee is a wrist wearable that offers helpful reminders relating to hygiene, incoming phone calls, and even health, all powered by Wi-Fi signals in the area. The campaign video is flashy, colorful, and promises a great deal about the device, regrettably without showing the device working in the real world. Backers beware, this little band may be too good to be true, but those who can keep the faith may want to pick this up. StopMee will launch for $250 to ship in August 2015.

Categories
Home Sensors/IoT

Hoping to sneak in without getting caught? Don’t Blink

The Premise. Break-ins and burglaries happen at a rate that’s sure to make anybody feel unsafe. However, complex home security systems are bulky, inconvenient, and require monthly subscriptions to use.

The Product. Blink is a truly wireless home security system, not even requiring a cable for power. Blink starts with the Sync Module, which all of the Blink units report to and transmit to the cloud for phone access, alerts, and streaming video. Each of the Blink units offers a discreet, wireless camera with a full year of battery life. Each camera also includes a motion sensor, heat sensor, night vision, and an audio microphone. Because of the lack of power cables or ethernet cables, Blink can be moved, adjusted and repositioned to suit any possible needs.

The Pitch. Blink’s pitch video comes off a little strong and very commercial like, but the device speaks for itself. Seeing the alerts, streaming video, and how simple it is to customize a Blink system for any need is enough to put home security system complaints to bed for good. Blink is out to secure $200,000 for its project to complete fabrication, develop the beta version of the app, and conduct in-home trials.

The Perks. One Blink unit with a Sync Module can be picked up for $69 and will be ready for delivery in May 2015. To monitor more than one room, a 2 Blink system with Sync Module is available for $119. Anyone who wants to set up their home security system sooner can get the same package as part of the beta program for $149, shipping in March 2015. Packages for larger homes and resellers are also available at higher tiers.

The Potential. In terms of a home security system, Blink is sort of a “do-it-yourselfer.” Being able to access instant alerts and streaming HD video on the go is an awesome way to determine if there is really a break-in happening versus something routine tripping the motion sensor, but without an instant response system to notify law enforcement, that falls onto the owner’s responsibility to review the tape and then take it a step further and call the police. The wireless system is great both for convenience and flexibility, but also to disguise the security system and keep potential threats on their toes. All in all, as long as homeowners can remember to keep the batteries fresh and don’t mind having the cops on speed dial, Blink is an extremely attractive home security option.

 

Categories
Sensors/IoT Smart Home

GeckoEye camera taps solar energy to shed light on intruders

geckoeyeSecurity is a massive concern these days  — not just digitally, but in the physical world as well. GeckoEye offers versatile security in the home, car, or office in a stylish, compact package. Shaped like a disc, GeckoEye can be mounted on any surface and provide security recording of any environment. On its own, GeckoEye isn’t all that revolutionary, though the ability to be mounted anywhere is a big help. What really serves to set GeckoEye apart is the solar panels on the device that can keep it powered without moving it to be charged. Monthly fees for cloud storage and an overall lack of features may hurt the device, but the solar charging is a great benefit. GeckoEye can be picked up for $189.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Chargers/Batteries

MyQI charges phones back to full without wires (kind of)

MyQISome people would rather go without food and water for a day than have their phone’s battery run empty. There are plenty of solutions to give devices a little extra juice, but they tend to be bulky or involve wires that can tangle or go bad. MyQI takes wireless charging and applies it to powering smartphones. MyQI can be charged through any USB power source, then tucked into any pocket to power a phone just be powering on the device and setting the phone on top. Unfortunately, iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones need an accessory to use MyQI. Because of that, other options like iDAPT Modulo still look to be a smarter choice. MyQI is available for $60 and will arrive in September.

Categories
Camping Music

Powered by candlelight, Pelty is the retro-futuristic Bluetooth speaker

peltyIt’s a question as old as time itself: how does somebody stranded on a desert island with only a book of matches and some dry timber enjoy their music with Bluetooth speakers? Pelty is the answer, and also the world’s first fire-powered Bluetooth speaker. By lighting a candle and enclosing it in the Pelty casing, the thermal energy from the candle is transferred into electric energy that powers the speaker, providing great entertainment during camping, outdoor activities, romantic moments, or as a neat party trick. Pelty will be shipping out to consumers in November 2014, and is available to those that pledge $199 or more, with bonus scented candles included.