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CRAZY GIZMOS IN 2014
ONE-OF-A-KIND
MAD GADGETS
Start-ups
that are poised to launch some crazy gizmos in 2014; you can pre-order
these thingamajigs – and yes, they all ship to India..
1.
PRESSY
Our old cell phones had around
15 buttons. Not enough for us fussy people. We wanted a full Qwerty
keyboard. And when we got that, we changed our minds again. We didn’t want
any buttons at all. Now, with touchscreens becoming a mainstay, some of us
are missing the tactile feel of — yes, you guessed right — buttons!
Thanks to graphics designer Boaz Mendel and
application developer Nimrod Back, you now have the Pressy.
Dubbed the ‘almighty Android button’, it connects
to your smartphone via the 3.5mm headphone jack – and you can customize it
via the free Pressy app to perform your most-used everyday actions. For
example, you could use a single click to start the voice recorder app on
your phone, or you could use it as a shutter release button for your
camera. The app also allows you to define types of clicks and combinations:
a short press; two long presses; a short, another short, then long press…
Initially, you get three pre-set actions, but you
can customize up to 33 clicking patterns. Excited? The Pressy — shipping
begins in March 2014 — costs $27, and for an additional $5, the
Israel-based company will even deliver to India. There’ll be just one
question that’ll vex you when you use it: Where the heck do you connect
your earphones? Hah! Don’t ask us. You wanted that extra button!
pressybutton.com
2.
MYO
US-based start-up Thalmic Labs
has invented an armband — meant to be worn on the forearm — that measures
electrical impulses in your muscles as well as the rotation of your wrists
to give you the ability to wirelessly interact with your PC and other electronic
devices via Bluetooth.
MYO does not use stereo cameras to sense movements.
This means, you could potentially use it outdoors to pilot a
radiocontrolled model airplane; use gestures like clenching your fist to
close a program window; snap your fingers to play a song on your laptop;
even use a trigger-pulling action to shoot enemies in a computer game.
Also, since this armband works by recognising electrical activity in arm
muscles, it can anticipate gestures almost before they happen. Impulsive,
huh?
Thalmic Labs has already started distributing
toolkits that will allow programmers to create software and games for MYO –
and by the time this armband begins retailing in stores, you can also
expect it to work with both Windows and the Mac OS.
Early adopters can preorder a piece at $149 (shipping extra), and can
expect it in the mail, early 2014. In the meanwhile, you have got enough
time to mull over what you’ll trigger off with the MYO when you pinch-use a
handkerchief to clean your nose.
www.thalmic.com
3.
KAPTURE
We are a generation of sharers.
We tweet about anything and everything; shout out where we are with
Foursquare; post pictures of some of our most intimate moments on Instagram
and Facebook… What we were missing, was a gadget that would let us record
our inane conversations so we could share audio clips with one and all.
Well, that was before Matt Dooley and Mike Sarow invented the Kapture.
This voice recorder — in the form of a wristband —
is always on, buffering the last one minute of our conversations. If you
think something awesome has just been said; simply tap on its mic grill
once. The last 60 seconds will be saved and sent automatically to the
Kapture app on your smartphone (Android, iOS or Windows Phone). You can then
use the app to edit the clip and share it via text, e-mail, or social
networks.
If your cellphone is not at hand, Kapture can store
about 25 clips, which will automatically be downloaded to your handset once
it’s within range. You can pre-order the device for $199 (plus $15 for
shipping) and expect it on your wrist by Q2, 2014. What you waiting for.
I’m sure your online friends — who’re tired of your pictures and tweets—
are just looking forward to hearing your voice.
kaptureaudio.com
4.
CHIPOLO
Chipolos use low-power Bluetooth technology to help you find your stuff.
They can be attached to car keys, laptops, backpacks, handbags, whatever.
All you have to do is make sure that you've paired these colourful, little
discs with the app — Android and iOS (with plans for Windows Phone 8) — on
your smartphone.
Later, if any of this stuff gets misplaced, you can
use the app to track it up to a radius of 60 metres.
Pressing a button on the app, will cause the
Chipolo to beep, making it easier to locate the object it is attached to.
But what if you’ve lost your phone? Hah! Simply give the paired Chipolo a
shake, and it will cause the app on your handset to sound a notification.
Chipolos are also equipped to record current temperature, and the dashboard
on your phone can give you a 24-hour log, as well as sound alerts when the
temperature goes below or above a set value. Future plans include creating
a dynamic network of Chipolos to relay data beyond 60 metres.
Nifty, no? Since these look like colourful lockets, you can also use them
to tag your dog, or your boyfriend. A single Chipolo — delivery in early
2014 — can be pre-ordered for 24 Euros (plus 7 Euros for shipping). A small
price, we think, to keep your doggy or boyfriend from straying.
www.chipolo.net
5.
MUSE
Canada-based InteraXon wants to
get inside your head. The company is set to launch the Muse – a brainwave-sensing
headband that reads your mind. The tiara-like device uses six sensors and
electroencephalograph (EEG) technology to read your brainwaves. Don’t
worry, it can’t read your dirty thoughts. Instead, Muse measures the
brain’s overall activity, like how relaxed or alert you are; it measures
your stress level and gives you feedback on how to lower it.
On a secondary level, the technology can also translate the data it
captures into binary (ones and zeros); converting it into instructions that
can interact with software on your iOS or Android device. In early tests,
users were handed a headset, and after a training process of 5–10 minutes,
they were able to control a lighting display.
‘With practice,’ the chaps at Interaxon believe, ‘you can manipulate your
brainwave pattern, like flexing a muscle you've never used before.’
Pre-order a headset right now for $269 (plus $30 for shipping), and you
will also get a Brain Health System app, as well as a basic Software
Development Kit (SDK) to build your own applications. Later, as apps and
software start becoming available for your devices, imagine a life where
you will be able to control the electronics around you, with Jedi-like
powers. The force is strong with this one, eh?
www.interaxon.ca
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