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Connected Objects Kids/Babies Sleep

Suzy Snooze helps Suzy –- and everybody else –- get some sleep

Every parent wants their babies to get some sleep because if an infant doesn’t sleep, the adults don’t either.

patent-claimedSuzy Snooze is a three-in-one device that uses light and sound to soothe kids to sleep — helping their parents get some sleep in the process — and also helps wake kids up. Suzy evolves with children through their early years — serving as first a baby monitor, then a lullaby nightlight, and then a toddler sleep trainer. It plugs into a wall socket and comes with U.S., U.K. and European adapters.

Suzy works out of the box, but also in conjunction with a mobile device app that allows parents to control the device’s functions remotely, including whether to leave the nightlight on or off.

Categories
Sleep Wearables

SnoreCoach coaches you to sleep to reduce snoring

Snoring is a nuisance for both the person who does it and the partner who sleeps with that person because it can significantly reduce the amount of sleep both people get each night.

patent-claimedSnoreCoach is a small sensor that attaches to the back of the user’s shirt via a Velcro patch and communicates with a companion SnoreTrack iOS app that’s been designed to help change the wearer’s sleep patterns. The app helps users change their sleep patterns by prompting them to sleep in positions that are less conducive to snoring. The patent-pending SnoreTrack’s sound analysis algorithms identify people who snore frequently, and determine whether or not that snoring is likely to respond to more favorable sleep positions.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Music

Cobble cobbles together improved audio for iPhones

Smartphones have become the main portable device that many people rely on to listen to music on the go. However, just like most smartphone cameras lack the high-end functionality of good standalone cameras, smartphones also tend to not offer the best audio quality either.

Cobble is a battery-free, plug-and-play device for iPhones that combines a headphone amplifier with a digital-to-analog (DAC) converter to significantly improve smartphone music quality. It also works with iPods and iPads, although its compatibility is limited to only those iOS devices with Lightning connectors, from which it draws power.

Categories
Robots/Drones

The Gravitron v2 lets you experience drone races at 50 mph

The sport of first-person view drone racing is growing, and growing quickly. With it, the demand for faster, lighter, and more durable drones that can outpace the competition.

The Gravitron v2 is the second iteration of the original, and its specs show. This time, 3k Japanese carbon fiber — some of the strongest and lightest — is joined by powerful 2300kv brushless motors alongside a lithium ion battery that gives the Gravitron a top speed of 50mph for anywhere between five to eight minutes. And with that blazing speed, all pilots are bound to crash their Gravitron in some brutal ways.

Categories
Connected Objects Cycling

Revolights illuminates a more connected vision of bike lights with its Eclipse+

A complete lighting system that properly illuminates all types of bicycles no matter its make or model has been a thorny problem for a long time. At least that’s what most people commonly think. After two Kickstarters, the army of backers that have made both successes seem to think it has figured it out. Now, they’ve made their way back to the crowdfunding world—this time, on Indiegogo—to introduce their Eclipse+ connected bike lighting system.

The Eclipse+ is a refinement of the original Eclipse model. While it still provides 360º illumination, the lack of cables and addition of snap-in rechargeable batteries for power makes the entire unit easier to install. But the biggest improvement comes in its Bluetooth connectivity, adding a wide-array of features facilitated by the companion Revolights iOS/Android smartphone or smartwatch app.

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Smart Home

Sentri’s large touchscreen keeps an eye on your connected home

The explosion of connected devices in the home, while incredible, would be an even better development if they all worked more seamlessly with each other. Since most don’t, it forces IoT fans to put up with separate apps for each device, diluting the experience as a result.

The Sentri is effectively a 10.1 touchscreen that serves as the center of a person’s connected world. It combines security, an impressive array of built-in functionality along and the ability to connect to wide-range of third-party devices to truly bring together what can be a disparate experience.

Categories
Smart Home

For connected home alarms, HEVO gives others the heave-ho

Legacy alarm systems often require the use of landlines to function, making them quite the dinosaurs in the age of connected products. By forcing homeowners to keep a landline and offering no flexibility when it comes to all the other devices in most people’s lives, the time is long overdue for something to give.

A portmanteau of Home EVOloution, HEVO is a hub that connects to the BUS of a current alarm system backed by the PATROL proprietary OS. In using PATROL to secure the home, HEVO operates by a tiered system of alarm. When an intruder is detected — even with an unarmed legacy alarm system — HEVO sends an alarm signal through the Internet. Failing that, HEVO’s included GSM subscription service kicks in and sends the alarm that way. If that ends up not working for some reason, real-time monitoring of each HEVO will see the company send the alarm signal themselves. Users are informed of each of these steps with real-time SMS alerts, keeping them up to date no matter what.

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Connected Objects

Raincheck’s smart, artful design puts other umbrella stands in check

Rain and snow: the city slicker’s most hated enemies. Everything becomes just a little bit harder when either enters the picture, which is why getting caught unprepared is the epitome of a bad day. Designer Nick Jonas’ (not that oneRaincheck is an umbrella stand with a touch of smarts to ensure that never happens.

The product is comprised of beautifully lacquered, dark walnut wood sculpted into a tall, rectangular stand perfect for a few umbrellas. What makes Raincheck special are the eight dots of light installed within that are connected to Wi-Fi that are constantly updated on the weather.

Categories
Aquatics Health and Wellness Smartwatches/Bands

Surfers ride the fitness band wave with the Glassy Zone tracker

Although it seems that fitness and activity trackers exist for every sport, their conquest is not quite complete. Curiously, there’s nothing out there specifically for surfers which means an entire population of athletes that don’t have a choice at all when it comes to wearables.

GlassyPro’s Glassy Zone is that wearable device specifically designed with these board enthusiasts in mind. Its Fitbit band-like exterior houses a set of three LED lights for different notifications. Glassy Zone covers a wide range of variables so that users don’t have to fill their wrists up with different bands.

In conjunction with a companion iOS or Android app, Glassy Zone tracks sleep, monitors forecasts and keeps an eye on UV levels to ensure users received healthy amounts of sun. When it comes to actual surfing, the band tracks distance, time, speed and the actual conditions of both the weather and the waters at the time, all saved for review later on.

Categories
Smartwatches/Bands

Trivoly slips under your watch to make it a smarter partner

Although smartwatches offer all sorts of conveniences, the problem with them is that most people already own watches and most of the time, they like their own watches more than whatever Apple, Google, or Pebble is offering.

The team behind the Trivoly recognizes that watches are timeless and well-designed in and of themselves, so it decided to smarten them up rather than make a watch that tried to compete. The Trivoly is a thin disc that adds connected capabilities to any watch. It’s small enough to fit under pretty much any timepiece, offering users vibration alerts for notifications, fitness tracking capabilities, tap-controlled music control, a camera function, and a general interface with which to stay connected with apps like Uber.