Jun 19, 2013

It is no secret that in the last few decades the United States has fallen behind the rest of the educated world in math and science. These are major academic fields not just support American industries, but help make us a major world power. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, our children are not absorbing these subjects as they used to, and I feel that this is because we do not encourage the tinkering with electronics and robotics like we used to. Speaking from the point of view of an engineer, I can say that there is definitely a dearth of these resources available to kids and teenagers.

Many like-minded entrepreneurs have tried their hand at attempting to bridge this gap, and there are many quality products on the market. One new product combines electronics and robotics with an an RC car in a smart attempt to make these subjects more appealing. The RK-1, as it is called, is nothing more than a rectangular acrylic box housing for the micro controller with four wheels connected by tank-style treads. Sporting an Arduino micro controller that can be controlled over wifi through any smartphone or tablet the RK-1 has a lot of potential as an entry level engineering device.

The biggest feature of this device is that it is completely hands on. It comes in a kit, assembly required, and every add-on goes through the typical output ports that are commonplace to electrical engineers like myself. The project delivers a great feeling of freedom; allowing the user to strap custom sensors and lights on at their discretion. Unfortunately, to have these parts available out of the box, the RK-1 will have to reach is multiple stretch goals. What it does come with is the Arduino, a dual H-bridge motor controller, battery, acrylic case, wheels, and motors. That is the most basic set of functions and, obviously, it is able to read both digital and analog signals from exterior devices or sensors.

My sole complaint is that the pledge price to pre-order a RK-1 is £150 which makes this less of an impulse purchase. Unfortunately, for a product of this ilk to be successful, it has to become something that can more easily be bought on a budget. Hopefully, the actual pricing can come down to a more competitive price point, and if it does I envision a bright future for the RK-1 and similar products.

Jun 12, 2013

With the freedom of portability comes the inherent restriction of batteries. The high-performance battery may be the single most important invention in the past decade or so, but with ever increasing demand they still only last around 8-10 hours for the average user. Some days that time gets cut dramatically due to maybe some turn-by-turn help to a restaurant or a video and photo session with some friends. Whatever the reason, battery life is fleeting and only gets worse with age and use.

Coming to our rescue is San Fransisco based development team Jackery; which has created a mobile batter that is equal parts small, powerful, and, dare I say, sexy. Maybe it is the molded aluminum casing or the super thin profile, but the Jackery Air, as it is called, is definitely not an eyesore. It basically looks like an orange, all-aluminum iPhone 5 with a convenient indicator light in the bottom corner.

The mobile battery scene has exploded in recent years, and with good reason. Our increasing dependence on mobile technology and refusal to accept compromised battery performance has led to a demand for these portable power stations. I completely understand this sentiment, the Jackery Air is perfect for those busy days where I know that I will be going out later, and already have used my phone a lot during the day. Just throw the tiny battery into a briefcase or book bag and enjoy the peace of mind.

There are two tiers of battery available: a 2800mAh version can can fully charge an iPhone twice, and a 5000mAh upgrade that will perform the same job thrice. The first model is available for a $49 donation which, personally, is a steal. Even at full price, $69, the Jackery Air is a quality product that is also a great value. The 5000mAh version will retail for just $20 more at $89, and both models are available with a dual-USB 2.0 car charger for just $10 more. So, for those who find this project interesting, give it a look and consider helping out these deserving developers.

Jun 5, 2013

Houses and apartments with floor to ceiling windows have a major problem with covering those windows for both privacy and convenience on sunny days. If that first sentence seems wholly unlike anything that should be on this blog; do not fret, this week’s KickStarter Spotlight is slightly mind blowing. Named Sonte, it has been garnering the highest of praises from all over the internet after its debut at CES 2013. In a nutshell, Sonte is a thin layer of transparent film that adheres to any glass surface, but apply a current and the film becomes opaque and provides UV protection. Because this is a property of the film, it is able to be cut down to any size as easy as cutting a piece of paper. Installation is as simple as cutting the film, peeling off the backing, adhering, and connecting the power supply. Sonte can come with WiFi connectivity which will allow it to be controlled by any smartphone or tablet.

I realize that most Android Rundown readers are not also interior decorator experts, but the possibilities of this project are pretty exciting. Imagine, for a moment, having a glass partition between two rooms, and, with a tap on a phone, be able to obscure that boundary instantly; halving the room and adding privacy or intimacy. Sonte would be great for those who want large windows in their bathroom as it can be clear during the mornings allowing the rising sunlight to illuminate the space, but for more private moments the window can immediately become opaque restoring that traditional sense of privacy.

As I mentioned earlier, I am not the only one offering praise on this innovative and ambitious project, media outlets such as Entrepreneur, Engadget, and CEPro have all offered their adulation towards Sonte. The only aspect of this project that concerns me; besides the terrifying risk for bubbles in the film, is the price. Right now they are planning on pricing a 1m x 2m (3.28 ft x 6.56 ft) section with WiFi support at $480, but early supports can grab it for just $360. Over time, I am sure that price will go down, but $480 for a simple 1m x 2m section seems very steep, even though the film can be daisy chained with less expensive 1m x 1m sections so working with large windows will be less expensive per square meter.

So for anyone who is looking at doing a modern home redesign, or just for a quick way to renovate a boring room, I would highly suggest giving Sonte a look assuming the price is right. Personally, Sonte is going to the top of my wish list when it comes time to purchase my first home or apartment.

May 29, 2013

Start looking around KickStarter for a while, especially in the smartphone section, and one thing becomes apparent. People are really working hard at making the next great smartphone holder. I could go a long time doing these KickStarter spotlight on different projects that, with varying degrees of adherence, will grip tight to iPhone and Android alike. But, today we have picked out one of the best, and seeing as it is such a popular topic that has been mostly avoided it was due. What I was most looking for was a high degree of flexibility; both in the variety of phones it can hold, and the amount of different positions it can hold said phone. This week our spotlight shines on a simple and incredibly versatile device that goes by the acronym of FUMM. While it probably is not the sexiest product name, it stands for Flexible Universal Mobile Mount, which could not be any more accurate.

The mount looks great; being made of two black pads connected by three hard, malleable tubes. On both ends are two magical silicon nano suction pads that incredibly grip to any flat, clean surface without any adhesive or tricky positioning. This works by using millions of tiny suction cups instead of the typical single, large one. The connecting tubes are designed to hold their shape for an extended period of time and the project’s page details how exacting the developer has been about obtaining the correct product from suppliers.

While I do not regularly use stands like these very often, I very easily could see myself using something like this every day. The FUMM is small enough to be easily stashed away because of it’s incredibly thinness, and it is not out of the question to place it in a back pocket for a while. My experience with those silicon nano suction pads has been hit-or-miss, but as long as the consumer is willing to clean it and keep expectations leveled there is no reason to believe they will be let down. If this product was on the market and I was forced into buying a stand I cannot see any reasons why I would not pick this up. What makes supporting their project even more enticing is that, for a limited time, pre-orders are only going for $30 which is $5 off a very reasonable market price. The FUMM seems to be well on its way to KickStarter success with more than $4,500 raised in just 4 days. As always, this project will only be funded if it is fully funded and with over $30,000 still to go every little bit helps.

May 22, 2013

I think everyone at some point in their lives has doodled during a long class or a boring meeting. Sometimes we doodle words and sometimes we’ll draw random cartoons in some scenario. Wouldn’t it be awesome to see one of those hand drawn doodles come to life and conquer their challenges. After all something drawn on two dimensional paper has no chance of moving and leaping across that page, but with a little digital magic all this might actually be possible. This week’s KickStarter Spotlight shines solely on an incredibly inventive game called Pixel Press. While the game cannot technically make any doodle into a full fledged game, it does a very good job at giving the user full control with absolutely no coding.

Pixel Press is basically just a platformer who’s levels come from user’s hand-drawn creations. It does this by having the user print out a gridded piece of paper that ultimately becomes the blank canvas for their future game. On this piece of paper imagination can run wild and any level can be created. Well, almost any level. There are rules; a jump, for example, is 4 blocks high so anything that needs traversed must work with that constraint in mind. Other than the basic mechanics the level design is completely up to the artist. Hazards follow the classic platformer ilk, with spikes, lava, moving platforms, and pistons. These are simple to place into the level as they can be added simply by outlining the shape and adding some triangles for spikes or filling in squares with x’s for lava. Fill in a square and it becomes a customizable power-up, and fill in another square on top of that and it is now a portal. Everything is done by hand on the free, printable graph paper which is scanned into the game by merely being photographed.

After taking a photo of the paper it is converted into a basic, wireframe of a level with any errors or confusing marks hilighted in red. Then it is up to the creator to prove to the game that their level is passable and once that happens the fun part comes. Included in the game are a handful of different design choices for the background, hazards, structures, character, and more. For the more technologically inclined the option to upload a custom skin and sound effects is a stretch goal for the project. Like many similar games with user created content there will be an common marketplace where levels are rated and judged for endless variation and hours of enjoyment.

The goal is lofty, sitting at a cool $100,000, but seeing as it is already a third of the way there with still 23 days remaining, I have no problem seeing this project becoming a wild success in the future. Stretch goals include a mode that is more friendly to children, more custom options, and a sooner release date. I have no doubt that Pixel Press will reach at least one of those goals, and incentive filled pledge packages are going fast so be sure to get in on the ground floor of this amazing and ambitious KickStarter project.

May 15, 2013

One of the next big (or small) things in tech is bound to be smart watches, and all thanks can be directed toward the KickStarter darling; the Pebble ePaper Watch. With rumors of Apple and others stepping into the ring this is one product category that is bound to get serious. As is usually the case, small developers are a step ahead of their larger, corporate counterparts and a slew of smart watches are starting to appear across the internet. Pebble set the look with its big, friendly design and ePaper display and it was only a matter of time before a higher end, fashion oriented competitor emerged. Correctly assuming that the most stylish members of society would probably be repulsed by adorning their wrists with a hunk of plastic, Won Rhee of San Ramon, California has come out with the first smart watch that looks more like a Breitling than a Medical Alert bracelet.

The watch, named Vachen, breathes class in its KickStarter video, promo photos, and quality of construction materials. This is definitely a watch for that lawyer uncle that already has a tie for every occasion and a head cover for every club. But, moving past the varied, and classic visuals; when looking at the Vachen’s software it is obvious that it has borrowed heavily from Apple’s older square iPod Nano in making each icon big and leaving the screen as clutter-free as possible. The main draw here, unlike with Pebble, is that Vachen is supposed to be a watch first and foremost, albeit a watch that can change faces at a beckoning tap. This is to ensure that no matter what situation the wearer finds themselves in their watch will always look appropriate and aptly accent any outfit. Behind the watch face, however, is a plethora of pre-installed apps that display notifications from a connected phone, a stop watch and alarm, and even a compass.

Like most smart products nowadays there will be an open app store which means that the uses for the Vachen smart watch are practically limitless. It might not be in everyones budget but I have no doubt that a consumer niche does exist and they will surely be enough to make this a successful product for years to come, and it will be interesting to see if Vachen can grow their brand to rival established fashion juggernauts.

No matter how many awkwardly sized “phablets” or mini-tablets there are, the same issue will appear. There is just no way to combine the portability of a phone with the screen size of a true tablet or laptop. There is a directly inverse relationship between the size of a product and its convenience and portability. Imagine then, if there was a device that was optional, and that acted as a portable monitor for any smartphone. There are products out like this already, but a majority of the are device specific, and thus, not very marketable. The way Abilene, Texas based design team Livi Design chose to solve this problem was to make a straightforward device that was flexible as well as progressive.

The project’s name is Casetop and as is common for many of these KickStarter projects; the idea is so simple that it is a wonder this device has not been mass marketed prior. All the Casetop really is is a screen built on top of a battery and keyboard. Most smartphones plug into the front of the keyboard and are instantly displayed on the screen. With smartphones becoming more powerful their capabilities are increased and yet the small screen size limits what they, realistically, can do. Even with a bluetooth keyboard it would be difficult to write up a paper or long email, but plug it into the Casetop and there instantly is an 11.1″ display of the connected smartphone.

The construction of the Casetop is being overseen by the same company that produced the wildly popular Pebbe E-Watch, and there are a few other big name advisors to the project. One of the biggest points that is made in the promotional video is that the Casetop will feature fully customizable parts and allow for easy updating; making the Casetop something that can be bought with confidence, as it will not become obsolete in a year or two. The screen is currently only 720p but a stretch goal will bump that up to 1080p. Also, the Casetop is supposed to deliver unreal battery life. As in somewhere in the range of 30 hours, and all for around $250.

It is hard to look at this and see something I do not like. A solid, eco-friendly design, quick connect and disconnect, veteran advisors, a low price, and a commitment to sustaining one product over many years. The Casetop is asking for $300,000 to make an initial run of 1000 machines, and currently they are just under $60,000 with 25 days to go as of writing. So, go out and consider giving to a great cause, because some day we all might be carrying these around with us instead of laptops.

Apr 25, 2013

For the over-21 crowd there are not many things that spice up a good night with friends than sitting back and mixing up a few bar favorites. The obvious caveat is that not everyone is a trained bar tender and a poorly mixed drink can put a damper on a good night. Amazingly there are machines that will mix drinks automatically, but those have a large footprint and, besides being expensive, are cumbersome and hard to clean. Besides, what is the fun of making a good lemon drop if some machine pumps one out automatically. So, get a glass that has all those recipes on the side measured out by volume. Well, the problem here is that there can only be 6-7 mixtures tops, and there are hundreds of drink recipes in the world. Also, those do a poor job at measuring solids like sugar or salt. The answer is The Barman, an ingenious KickStarter project by John Gallagher of Sewell, New Jersey.

The Barman uses a completely different way to measure liquids that is indifferent to glass weight or ice amount, a technology called differential weighing which allows for much more accurate weighing of mixtures and liquids. The way The Barman works is a mobile app sends mixing instructions to the base, and a twin pair of LED’s that sit under the glass of choice glow blue. A small display in the front shows what liquid is needed and a progress bar will slowly fill up until the correct mass is deposited, and the red LED will illuminate the glass to give a more visual warning. Because of the nature of the scale, solids are also able to be accurately weighed, meaning sugar, salt, and other solids can, for the first time, be measured.

What really makes this project attractive is the amount of customization that can allow the user to tweak any recipe to make is stronger or more flavorful. Custom recipes can be added by measuring exact amounts of each liquor to make any drink perfectly replicable. Of course the app is Facebook and Twitter connected, allowing anyone to share their nightly indulgence with a friend or family member across the globe. The sheer connectivity and incredible ambition make this project something worth investing in, and I look forward to having one of these in my liquor cabinet in the future.

Apr 17, 2013

I can speak from personal experience, and I am sure that many of our readers can as well, but there is nothing more nerve-wracking that bringing a smartphone along in a place that can get messy. Be it out in the garden, in the shop, on the lake, or in the kitchen; smartphones take a beating and, for the most part, bounce right back up. I am not talking about falls but more spills and general debris that can accumulate on phones in dirty environments. Picture someone working on a car who has grease and oil on their hands, but still needs to answer their smartphone to answer an important call. Usually they will have to completely clean their hands or bite the bullet and dirty their screen, but now with an incredibly simple and inexpensive KickStarter project that decision will become obsolete. Smart Bags are honestly nothing more than reinforced and fully biodegradable sandwich bags which are tailored to fit around conventional smartphones. People have been doing this for a while but never has their been bags that are disposable and offer the ability to conform to specific brands.

Because the plastic is thicker and anti-static the risk of damage is incredibly minimal and any user should feel more than safe bringing their phone with them to the beach or out camping during a misty, muddy afternoon. The plastic still allows use of the phone without the threat of a scratched screen or water damage, and its thickness prevents the bunching and sticking that is common with regular sandwich bags.

Seeing as phones are getting increasingly expensive it would only make sense that people are spending money to help keep them in operational shape. These bags initially will cost around $1 for a bag that will fit a specific phone. This seems like a lot on first glance, but considering that they will not be used every day and the alternative to destroying a phone, the price seems quite reasonable. Smart Bags is a little under 20% to its goal, but with over 20 days remaining it appears likely that this great product will see store shelves. Personally, I am excited to be able to confidently take my phone canoeing with me and have full confidence that at the end of the trip it won’t need a classic rice bath.

Apr 10, 2013

I realize that I am not the only person who misplaces their wallet, but I find it hard to believe that there are people on this earth who lose theirs more consistently than I do. For years I have been casually looking into different ways to help me organize my life, and there are a few products on the market that allow the user to remotely find their missing, tagged items. Obviously, the problem here is that these products, for the most part, are separate items and are just as prone to being forgotten and misplaced as the wallet itself.

So why not put the device on the smartphone? Everyone has one and if implemented well enough it can work as a symbiotic relationship. Fortunately for all of humanity there is a project floating around on KickStarter right now that might be the world’s solution to the endless struggle to keep tabs on arguably the two most important items in the average person’s life. Called SmartWallit, this ambitious startup has developed a product that will ingeniously alert its owner if either the wallet or phone gets left behind.

SmartWallit works differently than most products of its ilk in that it will actively alert the user through vibration and beeping. Something I do at every possible opportunity is leave my phone sitting in the cupholder when I leave my car. If SmartWallit was equipped in my back pocket, the moment I get close to my front door it would start beeping and vibrating, reminding me I had left my phone behind for the third time today. For those concerned about rogue beep sessions or that having this means dealing with an acoustic barrage every time they leave the room purposely without their phone need not worry. Build into SmartWallit is a very clever way to turn it off; meerly tapping the wallet will disable SmartWallit and silence the alarm.

What is really amazing are all the other ambitious features that come included in this package. The SmartWallit is not a one trick pony as its included app contains more than just a way to find a misplaced wallet. One of the more odd, but strangely logical, addition is that of a lightweight spending tracker. See, SmartWallit obviously knows every time the wallet is opened and removed due to its accelerometer so, if enabled, it will send a small reminder to aid the user in tracking their expenditures; complete with helpful bar and pie charts. Add in the ability for SmartWallit to double as a cardholder, money clip, or addition to a keychain, and it is clear the development team really went all out in making this simple concept something that stands heads and shoulders above the competition.

Apr 3, 2013

Introducing children to computers is a very delicate process, and one that I do not look forward to when I am finally thrust into parenthood. On the one hand, any parent wants their children to be proficient with technology as well as use all the available resources to expand their imagination and knowledge of the world. But along with that comes the unbridled mature, or immature, corners of the internet where no parent wants their young child entering. Parental controls on modern machines are clumsy and fairly easy to circumvent for especially apt kids, and they generally get in the way of everyday functions when the children are not on the computer. Seeing as the PC market is dominated by Apple and Microsoft with no viable third option catering to parents it was only time before the borderless possibilities of Android came in and lent a hand.

This week’s KickStarter Spotlight focuses on an ambitious, and impressively polished product that is squarely aimed at parents who are concerned about their child’s computer usage called MiiPC. It is not so much the content as the amount of time wasted that most parents worry about, and it is a fact that technology can be a major distraction for young people with homework. I can attest that even in the course of writing this post, I have looked away to a USA Today update and watched a few YouTube videos that were sent to me by a few Facebook friends. What MiiPC aims to deliver is a computer that, in all honesty, is not much more than a converted, overpowered tablet in a box. The main feature is the complete control parents have over the device. From setting time restrictions on apps or websites, to monitoring exactly what activity a user is doing at any time; MiiPC allows a parent to have total peace of mind while still ensuring their children get an appropriate introduction to the vast wonder of the internet.

The machine runs on Android Jelly Bean 4.2 and essentially functions as a Mac Mini, coming with no keyboard, mouse, or screen of any kind. There is not access to the entire app market, just a few that are more suited to mouse and keyboard interaction, but a basic suite of apps, for web browsing, word processing, and media management are all included. One of the biggest feature is an included mobile app that acts as a command center for the device, allowing for the user to monitor and allow or restrict their child’s actions on the MiiPC. Custom settings can be changed for each user’s profile, and there is practically nothing that escapes a parent’s control. This is why I have no reason to believe that MiiPC will not find a niche somewhere in the market immediately, and maybe a few years from now their unique strategy of marketing to young families will make MiiPC a household name.

Mar 27, 2013

Everyone could use some help being more organized; it is not a secret. An amazing percentage of the clutter that will build on an average desk are objects that are only there temporarily, such as a phone, keys, or wallet. There are hundreds of desk organizers that are available for purchase either online or at any store with an office section, but there are generally cheap and crudely constructed. At the least, a majority of them are overdone and attempt to do too much which might not be a problem for most people, but for those who are looking to add a little minimalist flair to their desk these obtuse organizers tend to get in the way. Over in KickStarter land there is a budding and promising new project that aims to deliver a precisely crafted organizer that also is pleasing on the eyes and might even garner a few compliments. This project is called Station, and it aims to clear the clutter in the most minimalist way possible.

Station is really nothing more than a piece of machined bamboo, which, as the developers are quick to point out, is one of the fastest renewing resources. The product is really designed for those who do not need much in the way of mass organization, and therefor really caters to a very specific client who does not need paper storage and only has a handful of items with them daily. There are three compartments here, a narrow trough for a pen or two, a large rectangular, multifunctional bay aptly deemed “stuff”, and a small, deeper gap for a smartphone to stand at an angle. By keeping the Station small the creators really allow for it to be placed anywhere, and it’s gorgeous, simple bamboo finish is enough to fit seamlessly into a modern living room or bedroom. My one gripe is that there should be at least an option to thread a charging cord into the phone dock.

With product consolidation at an all time high the need for a receptacle that holds a large plethora of items is waning, and it is hard to find many people who are carrying much more than a phone, keys, a pen, and a wallet. For only $29 retail, the Station is a cheap way to add a little extra functionality and style to an office or living area. With almost a month left to go, Station is almost half way to it’s $5,000 goal so for those looking for a discount donation price better ask quick before they’re all sold out.