'Smart' electronics for a bike and an equally 'smart' fitness ring, a device for insomniacs, a very unusual 3D pen and a pocket sound amplifier …
SmartHalo
The bike is a great thing. One problem is that using a smartphone while traveling is extremely problematic. Missing a call during a bike ride or not hearing a notification about an incoming letter is a trifling matter, and it's not worth talking about such a thing as convenient work with a navigator. Counting the calories burned and collecting statistics about the route, not everything is smooth either – I don't know about you, but I always forget to turn on the corresponding application on my smartphone, and even more so to pause it during stops. And the battery sits down from all this.
Of course, you can use a headset, you can buy a smart watch for travel, you can install a special mount for your phone on your bike … but this problem has a simpler and at the same time elegant solution. It is called SmartHalo.
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SmartHalo is a bicycle accessory that attaches to the handlebars. There is a standard set of functions – the device is able to collect statistics about the route (speed, distance, altitude, the number of calories spent during the trip, and so on), shows how much is left to travel to fulfill the daily norm, shows when and where to turn, and informs about missed calls. In addition, there is a 'smart' flashlight that automatically turns on in low light, and a built-in alarm that will scare any thief.
However, the main thing here is not the number of functions (the smartphone knows a little less), but how they are implemented. And I must say that SmartHalo is in complete order with this. Everything is done simply and clearly, on the one hand, the device shows the cyclist all the necessary information, on the other hand, it does not distract from the road.
SmartHalo can be mounted on any shape of the handlebar, the device is not afraid of dirt, rain and snow. According to the developers, the charge will last for at least three weeks of active use.
I'm not a big fan of accessories, in my opinion, most of them are toys for a couple of times, and their fate is to gather dust on the shelf for years. Yes, and I'm not a cyclist, over the summer I usually make a dozen small trips around the city, so I don't feel any special need for a navigator. But SmartHalo unexpectedly caught on with something, judging by the video, the device is made very nicely, and there is some benefit from it.
On the other hand, it probably already has a bunch of cheap analogs, because from the point of view of functions, SmartHalo is nothing special. And they are asking for $ 131 (which will soon turn into $ 149).
Project page on Kickstarter
SNOOZ
A strange device that turned out to be surprisingly popular. Its developer had trouble sleeping for many years, especially when he had to sleep in noisy hotels. He tried a bunch of dedicated turntables with a selection of nature sounds (surf, birdsong, and the like), but that didn't help. All sounds were too intrusive, and instead of drowning out the noise coming from the neighbors, they only interfered.
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After much research and testing on volunteers, he found the ideal tone and volume of 'white noise', which allows you to completely isolate from sounds, relax and quickly fall asleep. And then he developed a miniature device that generates such noise, working on the principle of a fan.
SNOOZ's design is discreet, but pleasant. You can control it both manually and remotely using a special application in your smartphone. In either case, the tone and volume of the sound can be changed with one movement of the hand.
No wonder they say that a well-fed does not understand a hungry person. I have no problem sleeping, and all these white noise generators and surf sound players are just fun toys. But for many people the situation is really different, someone is tormented by the fact that they cannot sleep at midnight, someone swallows sleeping pills, someone starts up 3-4 alarms at once, and then they are still late for work. So maybe there really is some sense in such a device, I will not undertake to judge. It's just that all this is very similar to trying to take a simple fan, wrap it in another wrapper and start serving as some kind of innovative device.
On the other hand, I am more than sure that it will help its owners in any case. The placebo effect has not been canceled, and a person who is sincerely confident that he can finally relax and fall asleep will really fall asleep much easier and faster.
Another question is whether such confidence is worth $ 59?
Project page on Kickstarter
Oura ring
Devices such as SNOOZ can be treated differently, but the fact that sleep itself is extremely important is definitely not worth arguing. Unfortunately, many people forget about it. Very often the time that should be spent on sleep is wasted on social networking, playing computer games, watching TV and other similar entertainment. Indeed, what harm can there be from going to bed a couple of hours later? Well, you won't sleep as well as you could, but so what?
Alas, fatigue tends to accumulate, and a one-time lack of sleep very quickly turns into chronic. A person can really sleep less than it would cost him, and for a very long time. And not even notice how much of this decreased performance, how much worse he began to think, how the concentration of attention fell and memory worsened.
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The 'smart' Oura Ring was created to analyze the user's sleep and daytime activity. The device will always be able to tell its owner which day to go to bed early, and which day to plan the most difficult things.
The beauty of the Oura Ring is that it does everything by itself. The user does not need to switch modes, mark the time of waking up or the beginning of the morning run, the 'smart' ring will recognize everything automatically. It not only monitors the pulse of its owner, but also monitors his movements (including during sleep), body temperature and other necessary parameters.
Overall, the idea is good, the question is how it will work in practice. Well, the main disadvantage of such wearable electronics has not gone anywhere – no matter how hard the designers try, such a ring does not look very good as jewelry. And among the male part of the population, not everyone likes such things. In any case, I doubt very much that I would wear it on my arm.
Project page on Kickstarter
3Dsimo mini
3D pens are gaining more and more popularity every year. They still have a number of technical drawbacks, and consumables are by no means free, but the possibilities for creativity are simply endless. In addition, progress does not stand still, each time they turn out to be lighter, thinner and easier to use, which is good news.
The star of Kickstarter (and, if I'm not mistaken, the world's first 3D pen) was 3Doodler, which I wrote about in previous issues of this collection. The pen turned out to be extremely curious and very quickly won the sympathy of users. How does 3Dsimo mini differ from its eminent competitor, what's the point of buying it, and even more so from your own pocket to sponsor its development?
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In fact, despite the similar functions, there are many differences between them. If 3Doodler can be called an artist's brush, then 3Dsimo mini is rather a universal tool for an engineer. With its help, you can not just 'draw' three-dimensional models, but create complex devices from a variety of materials.
First, the pen is capable of drawing with 11 different materials (and the feed rate of the 'paste' and the heating temperature can be adjusted manually). Secondly, it has a number of additional attachments with which you can burn, cut and solder. Those who were fond of DIY kits or electronic construction sets as children will definitely appreciate it.
The pen turned out to be thin and rather elegant (especially when compared with the first generation 3Dsimo or the same 3Doodler), it can work both from the mains and from a removable battery. We did not forget a special application for smartphones.
In general, for those who like to craft something with their own hands, the thing is very interesting. And the price doesn't exactly bite – a set of a pen, four additional attachments, six cartridges and a special drawing pad costs $ 89.
Project page on Kickstarter
AQUA
But this project will be to the taste of music lovers.
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The creators of AQUA love high-quality sound, but at the same time they understand that in life you always have to make compromises. Overall hi-fi acoustics are at home, while listening to music on the road is most convenient from a smartphone. Moreover, many users have to be content with not a “musical” device with some special audio chip, and headphones are often used quite simple. Whatever one may say, but in such conditions the final sound in the headphones will still be extremely far from the original, even if you download tracks in formats like FLAC.
However, this problem still has a solution, and it is called AQUA. It is one of the lightest headphone amplifiers in the world that connects to your smartphone via USB or Lightning and does not require separate charging.
The developers promise crystal clear sound with 24-bit / 192kHz output parameters, and even people far from music confirm that there really is a difference in sound.
Alas, for me this is all a dark forest, as I have repeatedly admitted, a bear stepped on both ears at once as a child. But judging by the way the fundraising is going on, many really believed in this project. Details can be found on the official project page.
Project page on Kickstarter
How is fundraising going?
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