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2015 Gift Guide: Wearables For Kids

December 23, 2015

Wearable tech is not incredibly kid friendly. The devices tend to be expensive, not very durable, and, frankly, not appropriate for most 8 year olds. As much as they might want an Apple Watch or Fossil Q Founder, these are way overkill for their needs – and let’s not forget the untimely end a quick jump in a pool could cause the device. But wearables are new and exciting, so it is not surprising that a kid you know might want one. The good news is that there are wearables on the market designed especially for children. Whether you are looking to get them a wearable that can communicate with friends, one to make sure they stay active throughout the day, or simply something to trigger an interest in STEM, there are a variety of devices for you to gift the kid in your life!

by Doug Parker

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Ion Belt Kickstarter Scrub Daddy Shark Tank

Wearable Technology

Ion Belt Promises To Discreetly Keep Your Phone Charged

November 30, 2015

The inventor of the widely successful Scrub Daddy (from Shark Tank) is at it again. This time Scrub Daddy’s Aaron Krause has partnered with Piers Ridyard (of Nifty) to solve the nagging issue of portable devices running out of power. Together the two men have formed a new company, Ion Tech Wear, to bring to market a leather belt with an integrated battery. The Ion Belt promises to discreetly provide 3,000mAh of power via a hidden 2.1A, fast charging USB port. The belt, which is only available in black, is flexible and features slim battery packs dispersed along its length. On one end, the front buckle houses an integrated USB pin for recharging the belt. On the other end, the tail of the belt hides a slim USB port to plug in a device’s charging cable. Since it is USB based, the Ion Belt doesn’t care what you are charging; it can top off your phone, tablet, camera, or even a GoPro. Just behind the front belt loop is a (rather unsightly) power button and a set of battery indicator lights. These are the only visually techie aspects of the belt and, unfortunately, they stick out like a sore thumb. The Ion Belt is currently on Kickstarter for $89 with an expected June 2016 launch.

Interestingly, this is not Ridyard’s first attempt at a belt with an integrated battery. Last year he released the XOO Belt through a partnership with British designer Casely-Hayford. The belt was sold via Indiegogo and featured a fully flexible 2,100mAh integrated battery that ran the length of the belt. Instead of a traditional buckle design to hold the belt in place, the XOO Belt used a ratchet based system with an oversized front buckle housing all of the electronics. In all honestly, we are not sure what the motivation is for Ridyard to tackle this problem again, besides achieving a product more similar in design language to a traditional belt. The original design looks perfectly decent to us, and in some ways might be superior to the new Ion Belt. That said, it doesn’t seem to be for sale any longer – and that alone might be the motivation behind the new Ion Belt. So, if you are thinking that your belt just isn’t doing enough for you, you once again have a change to fix that thanks to the Ion Belt.

by Doug Parker

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Trivoly Traditional Watch Smartwatch Convert

Watches

Trivoly Promises To Turn Any Watch Into A Smartwatch

November 13, 2015

We realize that smartwatches aren’t for everyone. People love the look and feel of their traditional time piece and aren’t willing to switch to a destined-to-be-obsolete wearable device. This doesn’t mean that they don’t want some of the abilities of a smartwatch though. A new startup is hoping to solve this dilemma; Trivoly has created a slim disk that serves as a mini connected device. Simply pair the namesake device with its app and attach it to the bottom of your traditional watch via reusable micro suction cup tape. Whenever you receive a notification, the Trivoly will silently vibrate and two bright, multicolor LEDs will light up. You can use the app to filter which notifications are passed on to the device and customize how the wearable alerts you. Trivoly is available in two versions, the Trivoly 1 and Trivoly 2. Both devices feature fitness tracking ability but the slightly more expensive Trivoly 2 adds an optical heart rate sensor. If you are still looking for a bit more “smart functionality,” both Trivoly models hide a 4-way directional button that allows you to control music playback on your phone (and they claim your Sonos speakers) and remotely activate the shutter on your phone’s camera. Trivoly is currently doing a Kickstarter and expects to ship in February. The two models are currently priced at $99 and $129 and feature a 4 day battery life..

Trivoly is a very interesting concept and a great compromise. Despite being a bit rough around the edges, we have little doubt that it will find an audience. The concept is fantastic and the execution solid. But there is some room for improvement. Even though it is only 3mm thick, we wish it could be even thinner – on your wrist millimeters quickly add up. Also we are disappointed with the LEDs being used in the prototype; they appear to be a bit clunky and bright, like those on a squeeze-flashlight. it would be amazing to see lights utilized that are more like to those on the Misfit Shine 2 or Ringly, which are small, sharp, and bright, but don’t project their light everywhere. The first version of Trivoly looks very interesting, but we can’t wait to see what the company is able to achieve with version 2.

by Doug Parker

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Watches

Pebble Introduces Pebble Time Round Smartwatch

September 23, 2015

Pebble has announced its first round smartwatch. The device is part of their line of Time devices released earlier this year and is called Pebble Time Round. As you would expect, it therefore shares the same operating system and screen technology as its sibling devices, the Time and Time Steel. Pebble claims Time Round is the “thinnest and lightest smart watch in the world; it has a 38.5mm face, is 7.5mm thick, and weighs in at 28 grams (I would be curious to know if their weight measurement includes the band or not because the Apple Watch Sport weighs 25 grams without a band). While Pebble has been able to reduce the size and weight of the new device, it has come at a cost. The Time Round only has a 2 day battery, compared to the Time Steel’s 10 days, and has lost a lot of its water-resistance, only able to withstand a shower versus being able to swim with the other two models. The good news regarding the battery life is that Pebble has developed a rapid charging feature which provides 24 hours of charge in 15 minutes. The device is available in black with a black bezel, stainless with a white bezel, and (surprise) rose gold with a white bezel for $250.

It is nice to see that Pebble decided not to turn to Kickstarter and instead released the new smartwatch in a more traditional manner. The company faced a lot of criticism when it returned to the crowdfunding site to release their 2nd device this Spring. The problem is, the company is still fulfilling orders placed through that campaign and there are likely a lot of customers who would have preferred the round watch but are stuck with an unfilled (or a just fulfilled) order for the older square design. The company needs to be careful because they are risking alienating their strongest advocates. Also, I am guessing the $50 credit they are offering owners of other Pebble Time devices is not going to mend a lot of fences. Next for Pebble, the company needs to solve the bezel issue on their watches; they are huge. With the round face, the bezel seems to jump out even more. The company seems to at least recognize how awkward the bezel is since they are offering two separate designs for it – you can purchase a Time Round with a terraced bezel or with 3, 6, 9, and 12 etched into it like a clock.

by Doug Parker

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BauBax Swiss Army Knife Travel Jacket Kickstarter

Crowdsource

BauBax Is The Swiss Army Knife Of Jackets

August 27, 2015

Like most kids, we were obsessed with Swiss Army knives. They seemed to offer every tool we could possibly imagine needing, be it a knife, a thermometer, or a spork. We, therefore, were extremely excited when we came across the BauBax jackets and sweatshirt. BauBax is the Swiss Army knife of outerwear, offering 15 features ranging from an iPad pocket, to built in gloves, to an integrated inflatable neck pillow. Designed mainly as a travel jacket, BauBax is offering 4 styles for both men and women: a hooded windbreaker and sweatshirt, and a blazer and bomber jacket with detachable hoods.

If this sounds intriguing, you are not alone. BauBax has raised over $6.5 million on Kickstarter thus far and is officially the most funded clothing project in the history of crowdfunding. Not too shabby! There are 6 days left on the Kickstarter and the jackets cost between $129 and $149 depending on the style. BauBax is currently promising a November 2015 delivery for the backers; such a tight delivery window is a bit worrying though. Delivering a product on time, especially for items that exceeded expected popularity (BauBax was hoping to raise $20,000), seems to be a universal challenge for crowdfunded projects. Hopefully they have someone helping them navigate the complex garment industry and deliver the jackets in time for the Holidays!

Head past the break to see their Kickstarter video:

by Doug Parker

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Environment

Company Looks To Build Smog Vacuum One Ring At A Time

August 10, 2015

Imagine Los Angeles without an orangey layer of haze or Beijing with crystal clear air; according to Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde, the Smog Free Tower is the first step to getting there. The Tower is basically a giant vacuum that behaves in much the way an air purifier does. His vision calls for these machines to be located throughout metropolitan areas basically scrubbing the air.

Currently on Kickstarter, Roosegaarde is looking to fund the 1st such Tower mainly through the sale of jewelry made from smog. Looking towards a world where there is no such thing as waste, Roosegaarde made the connection that most of the solid material in smog is carbon and, as such, is perfect for creating jewelry (think: diamonds). His company, Studio Roosegaarde, designed beautiful acrylic cubes of compressed smog. Through the campaign you can purchase the hauntingly attractive 8.4mm cube by itself or mounted to a ring or cufflinks. The smog in each cube is representative of the carbon content of 1,000m³ of air.

We love the concept of compact machines scrubbing manmade elements from the air. I think Roosegaarde is on the right path, but I think it would be even more beneficial if, instead of large machines placed around a city, the devices were smaller and could be mounted on thousands of rooftops. The real genius of the campaign, though, is the use of waste from the machine to fund new machines. There is something beautiful in the cyclical nature of that. Hopefully, with Roosegaarde being a designer, he does not get bored with the concept and continues to see it though!

by Doug Parker

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Wearable Technology

Helix Bluetooth Earbuds Want To Go Everywhere You Go

July 30, 2015

We all love to listen to music on the go, but what are you supposed to do with those earphones once you get to where you are going? If you don’t have a bag or you are headed out for the night, it usually makes more sense to just leave the tunes at home. If you do take them with you and toss them into a pocket or change purse, it inevitably results in a frustrating tangle. While this isn’t the type of problem that keeps me away at night, it is tough not to argue that there should be a more elegant solution to earphones.

The people behind Helix have decided to address this issue; they have created a wristband with integrated earphones to ensure you aways have the ability to move to your music. The attractive cuff was created by former Nest, Nokia, and IBM designers. While not svelte, Helix is as miniaturized as

by Doug Parker

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Kickstarter

2015 Gift Guide: Wearables For Kids

Ion Belt Promises To Discreetly Keep Your Phone Charged

Trivoly Promises To Turn Any Watch Into A Smartwatch

Pebble Introduces Pebble Time Round Smartwatch

BauBax Is The Swiss Army Knife Of Jackets

Company Looks To Build Smog Vacuum One Ring At A Time

Helix Bluetooth Earbuds Want To Go Everywhere You Go

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