A Compass that doesn't point north-HAIZE

HAIZE is a compass that doesn't point north. Instead it points to where you want to go because most of the time that direction isn't north. HAIZE was developed by onomo to provide a more convenient way to get to your destination. As avid cyclists, onomo decided that using your phone to navigate while biking is simply a bad idea, and bike mounts for your phone are too big and inconvenient.
 

Not seeing any better options on the market, they decided to create the better option. HAIZE is a digital compass that always points to your destination via the outer LEDs (see image above), and the central LED flashes to indicate how close you're getting to your destination. You might be thinking that this won't account for obstacles in your way, and you would be right. However, often as a biker or walker you can see ways of getting around obstacles besides just taking the streets. Yet, sometimes taking a set path is the best route so HAIZE will also provide turn by turn navigation.



HAIZE works by communicating with a application via your smartphone, so it's inner workings aren't that complex and allow for it be small. I really like the overall design of HAIZE and think there's room for a lot of improvement. My single biggest concern is that onomo will not be able to keep up with the ever changing smartwatch market.

CROWD FUNDING LINK:

HAIZE – a compass reinvented. Navigation for urban cyclists
PROS:

• small-it's very important as a bike attachment
• long battery life (2 weeks on a single charge)
• records information about your ride
• light sensor to adjust LED brightness to conserve power
• simple (also a CON)*

CONS:

• not open source**
• only has outer LEDs and central LED
• a smartwatch app could potentially do the exact same thing.
• simple*

*this is a PRO and a CON because the simple design does not detract from cycling, but many may like more features

**If this was open source you could create a lot of cool games with this device

WIBI?

No, but maybe if I biked more. I could see getting all the features with a smart watch.

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Want to start your own civilization? GVCS can help!

Marcin Jakubowski decided to investigate the process that turns a pre-industrial society into a post-industrial society. Inconspicuously, the process is industry. Industry is the economic activity concerned with taking raw materials and turning them into something useful. Marcin discovered that most machinery is only designed and manufactured for a post-industrial consumer. This results in high-tech machinery that often becomes obsolete in a few years or less, and it costs way more than any third-world citizen could afford. Marcin started the Global Village Construction Set (GVCS). According to their wiki it is defined as the following:

http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Global_Village_Construction_Set

In other words, GVCS freely provides the means for people to make their own industrial machines that are at the core of an industrial society. The best part of GVCS is that it is all open source forever, but the sad part is that it's still got a long ways to go. The team behind Marcin and GVCS (Open Source Ecology) still need more funding and innovative thinkers to make the GVCS a full blown reality.

GVCS's open source tractor prototype (LifeTrac)

Site:

http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Global_Village_Construction_Set

Crowd Funding Project:

The Liberator | Compressed Earth Brick Press

PROS:

• Open source everything (CAD, Video Tutorials, and more)
• Low-Cost
• User-Serviceable
• DIY (also a CON)
• Closed Loop Manufacturing
• High-Performance Machines
• Flexible Fabrication (each machine can be scaled to meet needs)

CONS:

• DIY
• Strictly Instructional (provides only the knowledge to build these machines)
• Only 1 product is close to full release (CEB Press)
• They need more money and innovative thinkers

Would I Buy It ?

There's nothing to buy here, but I buy into their vision. :)

Sometimes you just have to roll the dice. Or do you?-Boogie Dice

Nimrod Back thought traditional dice could be more fun, so he created Boogie Dice. Boogie Dice have a motor and three LEDs that will activate when you make a sharp sound such as a clap or snap. So you no longer have to shake and roll the dice, you can simply snap or clap to make these dice dance.

They are also fully programmable, so it made me think... is there a way to make them always land a certain way? No, the team behind Boogie Dice wanted to make sure the dice's weight were evenly distributed so they would be fair. These dice are a fun addition to any game and are certainly worth checking out.



Crowd Funding Link: Boogie Dice - Self rolling, sound activated gaming dice!

PROS:

• You don't have to roll the dice
• They are rechargeable
• They are more fun than regular dice
• You can program them with an app

CONS:

• You can't use your special dice rolling ritual
• You do have to charge them
• Cost $22 for 1 die and $16 for each additional

WIBI?:

Yes, and I'm deciding if I should back them.

Game Related Products:

Keep Losing Everything? Not anymore! -Lapa 2

If you're like me you constantly have problems with losing or forgetting things. Even if you're not like me, and you are super organized and remember everything the hustle of life can sometimes cause things to escape your person. Lapa realized this and created Lapa, but now they're back with Lapa 2.



Lapa 2 is a small device you can attach to anything via a key ring, and it enables you to find those devices through a smartphone application. Each Lapa is equipped with an led and sound (up to 90 decibels), and two way communication with your phone. Lapa not only allows your phone to find the attached item, but you can press the Lapa button to find your phone.

Wait--it gets better--the Lapa app allows you to customize how each Lapa device works, so you can use it to alert you if you're too far away from a certain item. Also, you can recruit other Lapa users to locate your items or pets if something happens to them. So no matter what happens to your things--Lapa will help you stay connected to them!

Crowd Funding Link: Lapa 2: The evolution of object finders

PROS:

• Helps you locate objects through light and sound
• Warns you when you're leaving an object behind
• Helps you find your phone when you lose it
• Great range (200 ft)
• 1 year battery life
• Waterproof
• Can recruit other users to locate object if it runs away (figuratively and literally)

CONS:

• Kinda expensive, so you might not want to attach it to everything ($29)
• Uses Bluetooth, so expect your phone battery to drain much faster
• No other shapes available (couldn't think of another CON)

Would I Buy It (WIBI)?

Yes, they are expected to ship before Christmas, so if you have anyone you want to get a small gift for this would be perfect!

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Pooch Selfie...Ok.

I have been reviewing a lot of cool inventions like the markerarm. But now I'm going to review a product that is fully funded, but I personally don't like. It's the Pooch Selfie, a plastic device that attaches to your iPhone (or smartphone) to assist you in taking a selfie with your pup. It has a squishy, squeaky tennis ball you can use to get your pups attention then attach it to the cellphone.  The product design is a single plastic body with friction grips, so it probably won't work well if your cellphone has a case. It would have been better to have a spring loaded grip with pads to ensure the device won't scratch your iPhone and will work with a case. In addition to the design flaws, I doubt you'll have it with you whenever you want to take a selfie with your canine. However, this project is fully funded ($40,000 out of the $7,000 asked), and has decided they will donate Pooch Selfies to animal shelters if they reach their stretch goals. I doubt the customers will find their Pooch Selfie very useful, but it's an inexpensive item anyways so not much harm has been done. If you disagree... make sure to let me know.

CROWD FUNDING LINK: Pooch Selfie: The Best Way to Capture Selfies with Your Dog!

PROS:

• May trick your pup into looking at the camera, or at least close enough.
• Simply design and comes with a ball for fetch
• Not very expensive ($13)
• I can't think of another

CONS:

• Uses friction grips and may scratch your iPhones
• Does not work with all smartphones
• May not even work with a case on
• Awkwardly shaped so you'll probably have to be intentional about using it

Would I buy it?

No, I could probably do with an app that just makes a barking noise to get my dog's attention.

Better Dog Stuff:

Finally! Truly Wireless Earbuds-KANOA

Kanoa makes wireless earbuds. The earbuds are wireless. Let me rephrase, the earbuds have no wires. Unlike the most "hip" wireless earbuds like Jaybird, Beats and others as seen below...

...Kanoa earphones don't have a wire connecting the right and left earphones. They sit in the ear and there's no annoying wire at all. 

Also, they are fairly water resistant so you can use them with water sports (probably not diving). Kanoa different rubber tips you can replace so they fit perfectly in your ear, and the design team has absolute confidence--despite them being low profile and having no wires--they won't fall out!

 Another cool feature is the carrying case; it's rigid and filled with foam for protection, and it acts as wireless charger (these guys really dislike wires). I think this product is a much needed evolution of earphones, and make sure to check out their site they are allowing pre-orders for 50% off retail.

SITE: KONOA-A WORLD WITHOUT LIMITS

PROS:

• NO WIRES (CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH)
• Touch control on the sides
• Very water resistant (designed by water sports fans)
• Three silicon shells and tips to allow for the perfect fit
• Fast charging, 30 minutes for 4-6 hours of audio
• Case doubles as a wireless charger
• Running a special for 50% off for the pre-orders

CONS:

• Not out yet (release date is set for April, 2016)
• Not an established company
• You're their guinea pig

Would I buy them?

Yes, I'm going to.

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Rocketbook Wave! -I can stop buying more notebooks!

Alright, so I write sloppy, and I don't really need to access many of my notes very often. However, when that off chance day comes where I need to find some notes I wrote down... I take 30 minutes or more sifting through stacks of notebooks trying to find my notes. However, Rocketbook Wave is fixing that in an easy to use format. They do a really good job explaining the product in their video...

For those who didn't watch the video... Rocketbook is a notebook that allows you to use Pilot Frixion pens on it. Each page has a black border and several symbols that you use to categorize the note. Once you're done writing your note and you categorize it, the Rocketbook app snaps a picture of the notebook page, enhances the notes using the black border, and sends it to the right location via the category symbols. Once you've used up your notebook, you simply throw it in the microwave and the Pilot Frixion ink will turn clear and the notepad is ready to reuse.

CROWD FUNDING LINK: Rocketbook Wave: Cloud-Ready Microwavable Notebook

PROS:

• No need to buy multiple notebooks and wonder where they ran off to
• Reusable
• Helps you organize your notes and back them up

CONS;

• Only reusable for about 10-20 times (10 for me since I write hard)
• Pricey $35, but that's only $1.25-$3.50 for a 100 page notebook.
• Need to snap and upload pages soon because of ink properties

Would I buy it?

Yes, but I'm not going to back them. I really like the organization aspect of the product because I'm fairly disorganized.

Questions?

Please, leave your comments and questions below!

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FlyBi-the drone giving you a bird's eye view of the world!

FlyBi is an expensive toy for those looking for another hobby, someone wanting to get into aerial photography,  or those who like spying on the neighborhood (the latter is not advise). The FlyBi is unique to other quadcopters because it's 1080p camera is linked to  virtual goggles that you wear. The idea being, you setup a flight path that the drone will follow at a set altitude, launch the drone, put on the goggles, and enjoy the flying experience. 

You might think that this would be the equivalent of watching a video from the quadcopter after the flight. However, the team behind FlyBi thought the same thing. So they decided to equip a head-tracker to the goggles and 55 degrees of rotation to the camera on the quadcopter. This enables you to direct the camera to whatever you're interested in.

The developers of FlyBi equipped the quadcopter with sensors to avoid obstacles, powerful motors to withstand wind, sealed electrical components to make it splash resistance, tough and flexible plastic for the occasional crashes, and a convenient carrying case for fast setup and pack up. There's a lot more to FlyBi so make sure to checkout the link below.

CROWD FUNDING LINK: FLYBi - First Drone with Virtual Reality Goggles

PROS:

• Easy to operate
• Flies itself
• Recharges itself with a helipad that holds three batteries and doubles as carrying case
• Very durable
• Has color options
• Up to 2 miles range and will return if signal is lost
• Carry a 1.5 pound payload

CONS:

• Costs $1,000-$1,200 but if you back the project you can get a discount
• Only about 25 minutes of flight time, but if you get the helideck you can have it reload up to three times and charge the batteries its holding
• Only 55 degrees of camera rotation, but they say this is to avoid disorientation.
• Fairly large 14x16 inches and weighs 2 pounds
• Camera is not interchangable

Would I Buy it?

Only if I had the extra money to burn.

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One Ring to Do it All! Kerv -the world’s first contactless payment ring by Phillip Campbell

Kerv is a great invention and possibly the most risk free form of payment. Let me give you a brief history of payment methods...

 Before banks people had to keep all their money with them, and people could break into their homes and rob all valuables--money included. For those with any appreciable amount of money, it made sense to allow a secure establishment to hold their money for them. Banks made opening an account with them attractive by giving interest for the money deposited. So naturally people used banks to keep their money secure and grow their money.

However, people still had to go to the bank and withdraw money whenever you needed to pay for something, so checks were invented. Checks provided  a means for you to pay for things without having cash, but the unfilled check is worthless. Unfortunately, people started abusing checks and would overdraw funds and they would get hit with a fee, or a fake check would mean the business would have to take on the lost.

Advancements in computing allowed people to transition to electronic payments cards (debit and credit); this invention allowed for payment of goods and services and the transfer of money instantly. However, credit- and debit-cards are stolen and used before the bank invalidates the card. Kerv is a NFC ring that allows for electronic payments and is superior to a card for multiple reasons. Here's their video so you can start thinking about those reasons...

CROWD FUNDING LINK: Kerv – the world’s first contactless payment ring

PROS:

• No more reaching into your pocket to pay for things (whether it be your NFC phone or wallet)
• Stays ever present; you can keep it on at all times.
• It's waterproof
• Can interact with other NFC devices
• Extremely difficult to steal off your person
• In case of unlikely theft you can turn it off via phone or online account
• Not likely to be lost or left places (I've lost my card 4 times personally)
• No batteries required
• No pin required
• lots of sizing options
• Only $54

CONS:

• NFC enabled pay-stations are not everywhere (remember it was that way for credit cards too!)
• $25 purchase limit for US* ( more for other countries)
• Expires every three years (free renewal if a Kickstarter backer)
• Only two designs
• Paying at restaurants may be a little bit of a hassle.

*Allows you to link a prepaid MasterCard for larger purchases

Would I Buy It?

Yes, I'm even considering backing it now since I'll get free renewals.

Similar Products (you can't pay with them):

Thought of another way to use it or a problem with it? Put it in the comments, thanks!

Ever Need Another Hand? Meet Makerarm!

This invention is fantastic and I want one. The inventors of this product saw 3D printers as being a great way to be inventive and creative, and they took it one step farther. The Makerarm does 3D printing, carving and milling, assembling, laser cutting, and whatever you want (some innovative thinking required).

What makes Markerarm so versatile is--unlike most 3D printers--it's not confined to a box, has unlimited attachments, and the arm can be trained. Imagine you have a surfboard and you want to add your own custom artwork to it. Since the Makerarm doesn't work within a confined space you can pick it up, place it on the surfboard and have it paint the design right on it.  Even if you're not that creative, I'm sure a community of creative thinkers using this product will share their adaptations with you. Watch the makerarm promotion video to see the inventive ways to use Markerarm...

To say, "Markerarm is great 3D printer" is an understatement it is a multipurpose task performer that is incredibly affordable (starts at $1000), and only limited by ingenuity of the user.

CROWD FUNDING LINK:  Makerarm-The first robotic arm that makes anything, anywhere

PROS:

• Not in a box!
• Great range of motion (~15x30x10" LxWxH)
• Unlimited attachments (enables you to print more attachments)
• Portable
• Uses both resin and filament
• Highly accurate (0.1mm)
• Inexpensive compared to similar printers ($1000-$2200)
• Credible manufacturer
• Many more...

CONS:

• Does not fix in place and may move around when performing tasks
• Depending on project, the object it's working on needs to be fixed
• Will require a lot of learning to properly operate and use
• Not fully funded
• I don't have it right now

Would I buy it?

YES, I will

Products that perform some of the functions:

Wearable Notification Screen (Eyecatcher by Team Eyecatcher from LOOKSEE labs)

Alright, so as you may know flexible OLED screens have been made, but haven't been used much. Team Eyecatcher has utilized the flexible screen technology to create a "stylish" bracelet that has great functionality as well.

LINK: EYECATCHER ON KICKSTARTER

PROS:

• Functional jewelry that you can customize
• Energy efficient so the screen can always be on
• Really long battery life (1 month predicted)
• Real-time notifications
• Easily controlled via phone app
• Large display

CONS:

• No touch interface
• Requires phone to be nearby to update
• Will drain your phone battery faster
• $400 

WOULD I BUY IT?

NO

I WOULD RATHER BUY:

DISCOVER INVENTIONS! 

I enjoy sifting through crowd funding sites, and wish there was someone who would post just the best of these sites. Since I go through them all the time, I decided I'll go through the sites and review the inventions I like (and some I don't), so you don't have to! I'll discuss the pros and cons, what its lacking, and what would make it perfect (within reason and in my opinion)!