Week of October 27, 2014: There are a lot of campaigns competing for your attention on Kickstarter, which is great because that makes this crowd-source web site a hotbed of innovation. But which ones really deserve your money? We answer that question by rounding up the coolest, most exciting, and most unusual products for you each week.
Yes, a fully functional hoverboard. And it’s real this time. The Hendo hoverboard currently levitates over surfaces that are non-ferromagnetic conductors. Unfortunately, the actual hoverboards at the $10,000 pledge level are already gone. You can, however, still back the campaign for other rewards, including a five minute ride, a 60-minute “coach and ride,” and a developer’s kit that includes the hover engine and surface material.
The Keecker is a home entertainment robot that includes speakers, a camera, and a projector. You can listen to your music or watch your videos anywhere in your home. The Keecker can also be used for home security by activating the camera remotely and driving the Keecker around your home. Its built-in sensors will alert you when it senses unsafe CO2 levels or detects unusual motion.
The Prizm learns your taste in music, then plays it over your speakers when you’re in the room. If there’s more than one person in the room, the Prizm will blend the tastes to predict the music that everyone will enjoy. Spotify, SoundCloud, and Deezer are supported for now, but more services will be added in the future.
In just five minutes, the Pronto battery will charge up enough power from your wall outlet to fully charge an iPhone 5. A complete charge of the Pronto takes only an hour, instead of several, like many high-capacity chargers. It comes in capacities of 4,500 mAh and 13,500 mAh.
Turn your old old air conditioner into a smart one with the Ambi Climate. Its sensor hub lets you configure your AC unit remotely using a smartphone and learns your preferences over time. Ambi Labs claims the Climate works with all air conditioning units that have an infrared sensor.
The Ampy collects the kinetic energy from your motion to charge its internal lithium ion battery. Walk, bike, or run, then plug in your phone or other USB device to charge it from the Ampy. You can also use the app to track how much energy you've collected and the CO2 footprint offset from using Ampy.
If you don’t need all the functionality of a smartwatch, but could still use a smart wearable device, the Mota Smartring is an interesting alternative. You can customize alerts from specific contacts and scroll text by swiping the touchscreen. It’s water resistant, charges wirelessly and lasts up to three days on a single charge.
Want more functionality out of your bicycle seat? The Seatylock is a saddle seat that doubles as a one meter bike lock. Now you don’t have to worry about your seat being stolen or have to carry a separate lock. It comes in two comfort styles and in a variety of colors and prints.
We all know that sitting for too long is harmful to our health. Darma is a smart seat cushion with sensors that coaches you on posture, reminds you to take breaks, and suggests personalized stretches. It can even monitor your heart and breathing rates to recommend breathing exercises to help you reduce your stress level.
Are you being spied on with the webcam from your own computer? It has happened, yet most webcams still don’t have lens covers to maintain your privacy when you’re not using them. Nope is a simple solution that uses magnets to block and unblock the webcam on laptops and monitors.
