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New Big Idea Design Ti pen, a transforming laptop desk, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns

Today I have a four Kickstarter crowdfunding projects that are all for products that I would buy for myself, so I thought you might like to read about them too. Click through to see my list of this week’s notable crowdfunding campaigns.

Ti Pocket Pro : The Auto Adjusting EDC Pen

What is it?
The Ti Pocket Pro is a new EDC pen from Big Idea Design that grows or shrinks in size so it can work with 80+ refills.

Why do I like it?
I like the Ti Pocket Pro because it addresses the one thing my current favorite pen does not have… a cap. I use Big Idea Design Ti Arto pen and love everything about it except having to unscrew the cap when I want to use it. With this new pen, I won’t have to do that.

Big Idea Design has a proven track record with crowdfunding projects and I can’t wait to get my hands on this new pen. I have a feeling it will be my next favorite.

Where can I find more info?
With 29 days left in their campaign, The Ti Pocket Pro campaign has already surpassed their funding goal of $5,000. You can pre-order a Ti Pocket Pro starting at $65. After the Ti Pocket Pro campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in August 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

AdapDesk: The World’s First Portable Work Station

What is it?
The AdapDesk is a convertible / modular desk that can be used in bed, on the couch and even as a standing desk.

Why do I like it?
I like the AdapDesk because it adapts (sorry) and can be used in several different ways instead of just one way. It’s also foldable so if you decide you don’t want to use it, it’s easily stowed away for the next time that you want to use it or want to take it with you.

Where can I find more info?
With 34 days left in their campaign, The AdapDesk campaign has already surpassed their funding goal of $15,000. You can pre-order an AdapDesk starting at $125. After the AdapDesk campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in November 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Had enough of messy cables during trips? THE POWER PACKER

What is it?
The POWER PACKER is a slim zippered pouch that has been designed to hold and organize all our cables and small tech gear.

Why do I like it?
I like the POWER PACKER because I have several small pouches that I use to hold various cables, chargers, flash drives, adapters, etc. None of the pouches that I’m currently using are large enough to hold all the gear, so I have to split the gear between multiple pouches. That means I’m always trying to remember which pouch has the specific item that I need. The POWER PACKER looks like it can hold everything I would need and then some. It also allows you to easily see and find all your small items.

Where can I find more info?
With 23 days left in their campaign, The POWER PACKER campaign has already surpassed their funding goal of $6,435. You can pre-order a POWER PACKER starting at $29. After the POWER PACKER campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in June 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Welle: Turn Any Surface Into A Smart Interface

What is it?
The Welle is a device that turns any surface into a gesture-based remote control by using ultrasound technology.

Why do I like it?
I like the Welle because you can place it in a central location and use it to control all of your smart devices using different gestures that you draw with your finger or your hand. For example, you can use your finger to draw the letter D to turn down the heat on your Nest thermostat or draw a U to turn up the volume on your Sonos speakers. You can also create custom gestures and assign them to commands that control your devices.

Where can I find more info?
With 33 days left in their campaign, The Welle campaign has already surpassed their funding goal of $20,000. You can pre-order a Welle starting at $69. After the Welle campaign ends, rewards are estimated to start shipping in October 2017. Visit their Kickstarter page for all the details.

Filed in categories: News

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New Big Idea Design Ti pen, a transforming laptop desk, and more – Notable crowdfunding campaigns originally appeared on on April 9, 2017 at 11:03 am.

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Locate your dog from anywhere in the world

Our canine companions (aka fur babies) are as important to us as our human children and as such, pet parents like to know where their dog is at any given time. We’ve seen Bluetooth enabled pet tags that can alert you when your pet leaves a designated area, but the LINK AKC Smart Collar looks like it could be the ultimate pet tracker.

The LINK AKC Smart Collar pairs a wireless GPS-enabled collar with an iOS / Android app that allows the pet owner to see their pet’s location on demand from anywhere.

The collar has a two-piece design that includes the buckled collar and the wireless GPS module. The module not only tracks the location of your dog, but it has other built-in features like a remote controlled light, temperature sensor, activity monitor and even an audible alert that can be used for training purposes.

The mobile app shows the pet’s location, daily activity, and can be used to record walks that include pictures that you snap with the phone when you’re on your daily adventures.

The Link AKC comes in 4 sizes to accommodate different sized dogs. They will even let you upsize to a larger collar if your dog outgrows the first one you purchase.

The price for the Link AKC Smart Collar is $179 with a $9.95 monthly fee for the GPS service. You can save on the monthly fee by paying for a year or even two years up front.  For more info about the Link AKC Smart Collar, visit linkakc.com and you can order one through Amazon.

Filed in categories: News, Pet Gadgets

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Locate your dog from anywhere in the world originally appeared on on April 9, 2017 at 9:38 am.

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Light therapy devices, projectors shredders and more – Weekly roundup

Happy Saturday Gadgeteers! I hope everyone had a nice week and are enjoying the weekend. If you’re a little bored and need something to do, click through to see a full listing of all the news, reviews and articles that we posted this week on The Gadgeteer. I’m sure you’ll find something to read that interests you.

Reviews

Articles

News

Filed in categories: News

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Light therapy devices, projectors shredders and more – Weekly roundup originally appeared on on April 8, 2017 at 4:40 pm.

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Valkee HumanCharger light therapy LED headset review

I don’t travel across time zones that often and I don’t have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) issues that some people get during the dreary winter months. But what I do deal with is a slight sleep deficit because I get a little less than 7 hours of sleep on weeknights.  Unfortunately, I can’t do caffeine, so any gadget that might help me feel a little more energetic is something I want to try. The HumanCharger from Valkee claims to help with jetlag, the winter blues and help shift works be more focused and energetic. Let’s see if it works for me.

What is it?

What is the HumanCharger? It’s a small iPod Nano shaped light therapy device with earbuds that pump UV free blue-enriched white light instead of music into your ear canals. Wait, what? You read that correctly, there are little LEDs built into the tips of earbuds that shine light into your ears to increase energy levels, improve mood, increase mental alertness, help with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder. AKA the winter blues), reduce the effects of jet lag, and even help with food cravings.

HumanCharger has a unique and patented mechanism of action which stimulates the photosensitive proteins on the surface of the brain using a calibrated white light that passes through the ear canals. When these photosensitive areas of the brain are activated by HumanCharger, chemical compounds (Serotonin, Dopamine, and Noradrenaline) are released. The outcome: boosted energy levels, uplifted mood, and enhanced performance.

What’s in the box?

The HumanCharger main unit
LEDset Earplugs
Multiple ear tips in various sizes
micro USB charging cable
Quick start guide

Design and features

As mentioned above, the main unit reminds me of an old school MP3 player. But the HumanCharger does NOT play music. It has a micro USB connection on the end and a power button with a LED status ring around the button. That’s it, there are no other buttons, dials, switches, or ports.

The LEDset that come with the device look like a standard set of earbuds until you look at the ear tips where you’ll find a LED.

You can get a better look by removing the ear tip.

Let’s get lit up!

Before you use the HumanCharger for the first time, you have to charge the main unit by using the micro USB cable that was included in the package. A fully charged main unit will provide up to 10 light therapy sessions before needing to be recharged.

With the LEDset plugged into the micro USB connector on the main unit, all that’s left to do is to insert them in your ears and press the power button on the unit. The LEDs will turn on and remain on for 12 minutes, which is the length of the light therapy session. The LED around the power button fills in as the 12 minutes countdown.

I used the HumanCharger light therapy device each morning at about the same time each day for a full week. Although the LEDset earplugs are not the most comfortable earbuds I’ve ever worn, they stayed in my ears long enough to complete the short 12-minute sessions.

But does it actually work?

After using the device for 7 days, I can’t say that I noticed any extra energy, focus or fewer cravings for sweets. I’m actually eating some Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies while I’m typing this 🙂

The only small thing I noticed was that on 2 of the 7 days that I used the device, I was able to convince myself to get out of bed within 10 minutes of my alarm going off instead of my usual 3 snooze bar presses and 20 minutes. I’m not going to say that this device was responsibile for giving me 20 minutes of extra time on 2 days out of 7, but I won’t say that it didn’t either.

Final thoughts

I know that light therapy isn’t a scam because I’ve seen and read about larger therapy devices for years. Having a pocket-sized light therapy device is a great alternative to the devices that have to sit on a table.

I’m on the fence about the HumanCharger device because it didn’t’ seem to help me in a very noticeable way. That said, there are quite a few people who have left positive reviews on Amazon who really like this device.  If you’ve benefited from larger light therapy devices in the past, chances are that you’ll benefit from this one too.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Valkee. Please visit their site for more info. You can order through the HumanCharger site and Amazon.

 

Product Information

Price: $219.00 MSRP
Manufacturer: Valkee
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • Easy to use
  • 12 minute session
Cons:
  • Earbuds fall out of my ears regardless of earbud tip used
  • Not sure it's really helpful

Filed in categories: Health, Fitness, Sports, Reviews

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Valkee HumanCharger light therapy LED headset review originally appeared on on April 8, 2017 at 9:58 am.

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Amazon has outsourced their tech support to YOU

The other day I was talking to my best buddy at work and he was doing tech support for Amazon for free. I gave him one of my “whatchu talkin bout Willis?” looks and he said that he had just received an email from Amazon asking him to answer a question about a product that he had purchased from them in the past. Click the image above to read the email. 

I asked him if this was the first time that he’d received an email like this and he said no, that he’d received them before for quite awhile. I was surprised because I’ve never received an email like that… although I then realized that the types of products that I usually buy from Amazon don’t really require tech support. For example, other than the 12″ MacBook that I ordered this morning, my last several purchases were turmeric capsules, vitamin D tablets and a replacement battery for a Neato Botvac robotic vacuum.

A quick Google search helped me learn that Amazon Answers has been around for at least 3 years.

Should Amazon compensate people who help out and answer tech support questions for them? From what I can see, they don’t. Correct me if I’m wrong though.

FYI, you can opt out of receiving these types of questions by clicking on the opt-out link if you receive one of these emails.

What do you think about Amazon asking customers to help answer questions from other customers about products that they’ve purchased in the past?

Filed in categories: News

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Amazon has outsourced their tech support to YOU originally appeared on on April 7, 2017 at 4:17 pm.

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