Home Safety

How the Blinkers system is making cycling safer

The addition of lights to bicycles is nothing new. From headlights that draw their power from the bike’s wheels to the integration of solar lighting, these devices have saved countless lives while adding some flair and originality to bikes across the nation.

But a European company has introduced a new product that aims to make bicycling even safer — and they’re doing so with the introduction of Blinkers.

Introducing the Blinkers System

Pioneered by Velohub — based out of Zurich, Switzerland — Blinkers is what it sounds like: a set of front-and rear-facing blinkers for the traditional pedal bicycle. But the developers use some next-gen technology to set this gadget apart from the others and put it at the head of its class.

Not only does it feature fully functional blinkers in the way of highly visible LED strips, but the system also includes a headlight for the front and a taillight for the back.

The headlight offers three different modes of operation, and the taillight uses a built-in accelerometer to automatically trigger the brake light when the vehicle is slowing down. Since it’s important bicyclists can execute turns safely, the lights on the Blinkers system protect them at all times.

But the centerpiece of technology in the Blinkers system is the laser projection device. The most innovative part of the entire setup is a semi-circle — laser-projected behind the bike — at night.

It makes the vehicle even more visible to passing motorists, pedestrians or other bicyclists. More importantly, it designates a clear safe zone that maintains strict boundaries.

For on-the- go power, the Blinkers system is rechargeable via micro USB, which is compatible with all current-gen laptops, desktops and many power adapters. The device includes a built-in LED screen, which briefly flashes with the unit’s remaining charge when it’s first activated. Rechargeable batteries in the current model last for approximately seven hours.

The system is also easy to install. All the mounts are magnetic, so it doesn’t require any tools or advanced mechanical knowledge. Velohub tried to make the Blinkers system as user-friendly as possible — and they succeeded at every turn.

Perhaps the biggest drawback of the Blinkers system is the cost. With a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of €199 — or just under $250 — the full system is aimed at serious biking enthusiasts and consumers who care about their health. Budget-minded consumers can pick up individual pieces of the Blinkers system, such as the front blinker, the rear blinker or the laser blinker, but it’s much more economical and affordable to purchase them all as a package.

Whether a bike is an essential form of daily transportation to and from work, or strictly a recreational vehicle, the Blinkers system can help cyclists reach their destinations safely and securely. When paired with the latest health and fitness apps or devices, bicyclists can stay safe while getting their daily exercise.

Who Is Velohub?

Despite their small size, Velohub is already making huge headlines for developing the Blinkers system.

The team, headed up by CEO Javier Fernandez de Alegria, only includes five other individuals: a head of sales, head of electronics, head of marketing, software engineer and head of direct sales. It might be a small group, but they have big goals — and they’re already on their way to achieving them.

Smart Technology for Cyclists

According to their website, Velohub’s primary purpose is to “make smart technology for cyclists.” They use cutting-edge technology to enrich the lives of bicyclists through added safety mechanisms. Velohub’s team is also quick to tout bicycling as a healthier, cheaper and cleaner alternative to modern automobiles. For more information on Velohub, or to purchase the Blinkers system, please visit their official website.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

How the Blinkers system is making cycling safer originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 5, 2018 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Tinitell is a wearable phone for kids that gives peace of mind to parents

Keeping track of kids isn’t always easy and when children are too young to be responsible for a phone or parents would rather not have them distracted with all sorts of features and games, Tinitell may be the answer. It is a simple wrist wearable that allows the child to call up to 12 contacts that have been preprogrammed into the phone by the admin app on the parent’s smartphone, and it allows the parent to track the child via GPS plus make calls to them as well. It comes in charcoal, indigo, aqua, and coral and is dirt and water resistant so children can explore their world with some freedom and parents can breathe easy knowing exactly where their kids are at all times. It is available at the Tinitell website for $126.00, but if you’d like to get a pre-Black Friday deal, you can get the charcoal colored phone for only $109.00 right now!

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: ,

Tinitell is a wearable phone for kids that gives peace of mind to parents originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 20, 2017 at 8:41 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

eClip will prevent parents from forgetting their child in the backseat

As sad as it is to day, it’s not uncommon to hear about a parent accidentally leaving their baby in the back seat of their car. You know how the story usually ends when something like this happens. No one wants to be part of a story like that. One possible solution is a product like eClip from Elepho.

Elepho is an established health product company who used Kickstarter to get funding for the eClip. eClip is a battery powered Bluetooth device that clips to the baby’s seatbelt or clothing and pairs with the parent’s smartphone.

If the parent gets out of the car and forgets the baby, their phone will sound an alarm when the parent walks a few feet away. It’s sort of like a Bluetooth tracker for your gadgets, although a baby is infinitely more valuable than a gadget. But that does make me wonder if anyone has thought of using a Bluetooth tracker on a baby before? Maybe I just thought of a genius new use for those little tracker tiles.

In addition to alerting you that the child is still in the car, eClip will also alert you if the temperature is too warm or too cold.

And for parents that do not use a smartphone, eClip also works with a key fob with a built in speaker that sounds an alarm.

You can read more about eClip at www.elepho.com/eclip. It will be priced around $80, but can save $20 on the final price by pre-ordering now with shipping due in December.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: , ,

eClip will prevent parents from forgetting their child in the backseat originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 24, 2017 at 4:55 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Bishop Curry V, a 10-year-old boy, has developed a device to help save kids from hot car deaths

Living here in Texas, I sometimes hear news of a child dying tragically in a hot car. This kind of news is incredibly heart wrenching, but Bishop Curry V, a 10-year-old boy from McKinney, Texas has invented a device that could potentially save children from such a tragedy. He had heard of a child’s death near his home and having a baby sister, was inspired to try to find a way to save lives. Bishop has named his device “Oasis” and has developed a 3D model of it thus far (the above photo shows Bishop holding the model; photo from Curiosity). The concept is that the Oasis will sit at the top of a car seat to “detect when a child has been left inside a hot vehicle and alert parents to the child’s situation. The device will also come with the technology to help cool down the child while he or she waits to be rescued” (from Bishop’s GoFundMe website). Bishop has already raised $48,000 of his $20,000 goal since January 2017 to develop the device. “ALL of the funds that you donate will go towards the attorney fees needed to finalize the patent, prototyping fees, and to help identify a manufacturer” (GoFundMe website). Bishop Curry V and his father, Bishop Curry IV, an engineer from Toyota’s American Headquarters in Plano, Texas, have presented the invention at an auto safety conference in Michigan (from nbcdfw.com). You rock Bishop! I can’t wait to see the Oasis in stores! Perhaps it should be preinstalled on all car seats…

Filed in categories: News

Tagged:

Bishop Curry V, a 10-year-old boy, has developed a device to help save kids from hot car deaths originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on July 30, 2017 at 8:26 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

AIDOUT Car Handle helps you get out of your car

This past Thursday, Jeanne had surgery to remove an angry gallbladder. When we got home after the surgery, we had a little trouble getting her out of my MINI Cooper without causing her pain because my car sits so low to the ground and she had to use her core muscles to help her stand up. An extra handle like the AIDOUT would have come in very handy.

The AIDOUT is a handle that fits in the latch of a vehicle’s door without requiring modification to the car.

The handle features forged aluminum construction that is strong enough to bear the weight of up to 350 pounds. The handle has a non-slip rubber grip, a built-in flashlight, seat belt cutter and a window breaker.

The AIDOUT car handle would be a useful tool for anyone that has problems getting out of a car due to injury, illness, surgery, etc.

The AIDOUT is priced at $14.99 and can be purchased from Amazon.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged:

AIDOUT Car Handle helps you get out of your car originally appeared on on April 9, 2017 at 3:12 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.