With so many home automation devices on the market, it certainly is hard to keep track of what controls which device. In fact, you’ve probably found your phone is full up of controllers for your music system, security, heating and more.

Now nCube has come to the rescue, providing an all-in-one solution to the smart home ecosystem dilemma.

The small device connects to all your smart home devices and is controlled via one app, making it a lot easier to change the heating, switch on your tunes and deactivate your security system when you’re on your way home, for example.

Not only that, nCube learns about your lifestyle, so it knows when you wake up everyday and can make sure your house is toasty warm before you set foot on the chilly bathroom floor. It will also know when you’re away from home, so it’ll make your home look lived in, whether that’s by switching the lights on in your natural pattern so any potential intruders think someone’s in.

You can build ‘Cubes’, which are essentially schedules for everything in your home, so just switch on a particular Cube and nCube will do the hard work for you. You can also download more Cubes from reconfigurations to make the process of controlling your environment even easier.

“Cubes are very easy to create using the natural language interface – just click through to simply describe the exact scenario you want to create,” the company said. “To make it even easier the app has a number of pre-populated examples which can be edited for your own use.”

You can give different users of the nCube different permissions, so if your partner is always turning the heating on, you can be really cruel and take away their ability to switch the heating on, for example.

The nCube also works when it’s offline too, so if your internet goes offline, you can still control your home in the same way.

nCube is available from Kickstarter from £99, although you’ll have to be quick because there aren’t many left at that price point!

The post nCube brings together all your smart home devices appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

The Elephant Door smart home security system doesn’t just keep tabs on your home’s security with a camera, like many other products in its category – it detects if someone is actually trying to break in using a range of sensors.

The tiny gadget fits to any door without looking unattractive and uses sound, vibration and motion algorithms to work out whether someone is trying to gain entry into your home. The data provided by the sensors is analysed by the company’s networks to work out whether it’s a false alarm or a real-life threat to your and your family’s safety. If the latter, it will send out an alert

Elephant Door fits on any door at all, so you can attach it to your main front and back doors or if you live in a shared home, your bedroom door to make sure none of your housemates are breaking in.

An app accompanies the hardware and will alert you if someone tries to gain entry into your property. You are then able to instantly alert someone close to your home, such as a neighbour, a family member or the police to ensure the intruder can’t get in or cause damage. It’ll also trigger a loud alarm to deter burglars.

Radek Pallach, CEO and founder of Elephant Door said: “We decided to create Elephant Door to offer an affordable alternative to the expensive and complex home security systems which are currently out there on the market. Currently only 17 per cent of households have home security systems and this is because of how extensive they are and the need to hire professionals to install.”

Elephant Door is seeking to raise $40,000 (£26,000) to further test the software and algorithms behind the security, get it certified and into production for its June 2016 shipping target.

It is available on Kickstarter from $149 (£97), although you can get a taster of Elephant Door’s work too, with the company’s Safety First app as a reward if you spend $10 (£6), an LED Safety Band for $50 (£32) or a first aid kit for $100 (£65).

The post Keep your home safe with Elephant Door appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

If your other half works away from home a lot or you live apart, Pillow Talk will bring you closer, by transmitting his or her heartbeat to your pillow so you can hear it whenever you feel alone.

The innovation comprises a pillow with an integrated speaker and a wristband that records their heartbeat and sends it to the pillow.

“Digital technology lets us email, text message, poke and video call people. That’s great – but it’s nothing like being in the same room, enjoying your partner’s company,” the product’s developer Little Riot explained.

“There is something special about coming home from a long day and being with your partner…with Pillow Talk, you can lie in bed next to your loved one, even when they are on the other side of the world.”

Although originally developed for couples in long-term relationships, it can also be used be anyone who needs that extra comfort that they’re loved, including children, parents or anyone else craving reassurance.

Not only does Pillow Talk offer that closeness to people on the other side of the country – or the world – it’s also been proven to improve your sleep. The steady thumping of a heartbeat can soothe and help you fall asleep faster. After all, it’s the first sound that we hear as babies in the womb.

The app is available on both Android and iOS and communicates between the pillow and wristband via Bluetooth.

Pillow Talk is hoping to raise £75,000 to put the product into manufacture and is offering the product on Kickstarter from £52 for one wristband and one pillow (limited early bird supply) or £118 for the duo pack.

The post Heartbeat app connects you and your partner when they are away appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

Following the news that BeeLine has launched its cycle navigation device on Kickstarter, Haize has followed suit with its own bike satnav.

“We set out to find an answer to the question: “How can we re-invent the compass to give us a better navigation experience?” Haize explained. “And so we spent dozens of hours testing and developing the most intuitive way to give cyclists easy to read navigation information.

“It took us six prototypes, the first one made from silicone and just 8 LEDs, to arrive at our current design made from aluminium and utilising 23 LEDs. Now we are really happy with the look and feel of the device and have a patent pending for our technology.”

Like BeeLine, the device fits to your bike’s handlebars via an elastic band and is controlled using a companion smartphone app. However, rather than giving you precise instructions, the central LED in Haize blinks to tell you how close to your destination you are.

There’s another row of lights that countdown as you approach a turn. When there’s only one lit LED left, it’s time to make a turn to get to your destination.

The smartphone app logs the journey so you can view your route, just in case you want to take it again or want to find alternative routes in future.  Other features in the app include the ability to track your friends, download routes to try out and notify your emergency contact if you’re involved in an accident.

Haize is powered by a 300mAh battery, which will last for two weeks of journeys and it charges via micro USB cable. You can also use the device for walking or running, using a wristband that ships with the device.

Haize is available for £60 from Kickstarter (the £50 early bird has all sold out) and is due to ship in June next year.

The post Haize goes head-to-head with BeeLine on Kickstarter appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

Mogees is a handy gadget that can turn anything into a musical instrument via a sensor and an app that allows you to program gestures to create innovative sounds.

The Mogees package includes a stick-on sensor that can attach to anything you like and then to your smartphone. Using the Mogee app, you can then program in gestures that will train the Mogee sensor to react in a certain way when you hit, tap or swipe the object.

You can then assign the gestures to sounds that are generated when you touch the object in a certain way.

Mogees works using vibration – the basis of any sound we hear. It is super-sensitive so can detect even when you’re stroking something, right up to powerful thrashes and uses these audio frequencies to convert to sounds.

You can create your own MIDI controller too using gesture recognition technology, if you want to take making music one step further. Record some samples and then associate each sound to a different note to make more complex tunes.

“Mogees is one of the first electronic musical instruments to apply the power of machine learning to music creation, allowing any object to be converted into a playable musical instrument,” the company said on its Kickstarter page. “When attaching the Mogees sensor to the object you wish to play, you can then train the software to recognise different types of gestures.”

“By analysing the vibration patterns created as you play an object with the sensor attached, the Mogees software will identify which gesture you have performed and trigger the corresponding sound or MIDI note. All of this happens in just milliseconds, giving you the instant feedback you expect from a musical instrument,” the company continued.

The Mogee can be backed from £95 now the early bird price of £76, although you can get a little discount if you opt to buy more than one.

Mogee has more than tripled its target of £20,000, raising almost £66,000 with 18 days still to go. If you want to jump on the bandwagon, head to Kickstarter in the next two weeks.

The post Make sweet music with Mogees appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

The See Sense ICON is a connected bike light that is funding on Kickstarter. To date, it’s raised £44,000 – £20,000 more than its target and it still has more than two weeks to run.

The See Sense ICON connects your bike light to your smartphone so it’s much more clever than your standard flashing bike light.

It reacts to the road conditions, making it brighter, dimmer or faster according to the state of the road. For example, as you approach a roundabout on a busy road, it’ll flash brighter and faster so you will be seen and it’ll also change as it detects car headlights approaching.

If someone tries to steal your bike, or even tampers with it, you will be alerted so you can react and stop them running (or cycling off with it).

If, god forbid, you’re involved in an accident, you can set the app up to alert your next of kin, whether you’re by yourself or with others so they can get you help for come and find you if needed.

The light itself comprises twin LEDs to emit a focused and dispersed beam. It’s a completely sealed unit, so fit for all weathers and it can be seen even in daylight, boosting your visibility even when you don’t think it’s needed.

The fact it connects to your smartphone means it’s always up to date with the latest software and firmware, so it will never get out of date as new features are announced.

See Sense is selling the ICON intelligent bike light for £49 (the early bird was £39, but they’re all gone), or you can buy a front and back light package for £94 (£74 early bird deal has sold out too).

The company hopes to spend the money on testing the software and app user interface, accelerate the development of ICON with new features and help create smart cities everywhere, with help from Queen’s University Belfast.

The post Connected cycle light is taking Kickstarter by storm appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

The BatBand may look a little odd in comparison to the earphones or headphones you’re used to, but the point is, it doesn’t rely on well-fitting ear pieces to generate awesome sound.

The headband works using bone conduction with transducers that emit sound waves to your inner ear only you can access. It means other ‘social’ sound can still filter through, but without disturbing your listening experience.

It means you can hear twice as much, without anything penetrating your ears or causing discomfort.

The BatBand can be paired with your smartphone via Bluetooth and is controlled using touch-sensitive pads rather than buttons. Controls include the ability to answer or hang up on calls, skip tracks and change the volume just by using gestures.

It isn’t just for listening to tunes either – you can use it as a hands free to make and take calls too, whether you’re on your daily commute, exercising or partaking in any other activity where you want to listen to tunes in peace.

The company explained: “Unlike other bone conduction headphones, the main benefits provided by BatBand result from its high fidelity sound conduction, its incorporated microphone, and its sleek and intelligent design coupled with its qualitative finishings.”

Made from spring steel, the BatBand grips firmly to the back of your head, with inner padding making sure it’s comfortable enough to wear all day. It can be recharged via a standard USB cable and is fully plug and play, with no software required to work.

The BatBand is available from Kickstarter for $149 (£95), although early birds were able to buy a unit for between $95 (£60) and $125 (£80).

The company has already surpassed its target of $150,000 (£96,000) by almost $100,000 (£64,000), with 40 days left to run on the campaign.

The post Forget ill-fitting earphone ear buds, the Batband doesn’t even go near your lugs appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

Forget just a carbon monoxide monitor. Sensly detects a huge array of pollutants to help keep you and your family safe, wherever they are. The best thing is, it can run on batteries or electricity so can always have its place in your home or come on your travels if you’re planning a holiday.

Sensly alerts you whether there are high levels of benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, sulphur oxide and ammonia, with smoke, pollen, house dust, other allergens and radiation forming part of the company’s future goals.

The Wi-Fi-connected gadget streams the data to your mobile device or you can keep up to date with the concentration of pollutants via the web interface. If a spike of any gas is detected, you’ll be immediately alerted so you can react quickly and safely.

Sensly explained the extent of the problem: “In areas such as Hackney, pollution levels are 50% above the EU limit. In 2008, there were 4,300 premature deaths in London that were attributed to long-term exposure to dangerous airborne particles.”

The World Health Organisation added: “Clean air is a basic requirement of life. The quality of air inside homes, offices, schools, day care centres, public buildings, health care facilities or other private and public buildings where people spend a large part of their life is an essential determinant of healthy life and people’s well-being.”

The Sensly Raspberry Pi HAT  has also been developed to help people create their own devices, such as weatherproof sensors to monitor outside gases and teaching devices for students.

Sensly is looking for £10,000 funding on Kickstarter and there’s still just over three weeks to go on the campaign.

The Sensly pollution sensor complete kit is available for £59, or you can buy the HAT for £25. The Raspberry Pi HAT with computer can be purchased by developers for £55 or you can buy just the unit (without the app) for £49 as an early bird special.

The post Sensly portable pollution sensor keeps your family safe appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

If you’re always disappointed with the battery life and storage capacity of your smartphone, the Infinicase could be a great option to keep your device protected and boost your smartphone’s capabilities.

The modular case comes in three forms: battery, storage and sound, with each having its own merits. The battery module adds a 4000mAh battery to your device. It’s only 8mm thick and helps power the other modules while keeping your iPhone ticking over all day.

The storage module adds an extra 32GB to your phone’s capacity, providing enough space for storing thousands of photos, videos and music tracks. It’s 7mm thick so won’t add too much extra bulk to your device and you can add and remove it as often as you like to either transfer media or store it.

The sound addition boosts the speakers on your iPhone. It’s a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-enable speaker unit and if you hook up ten speakers, you can create your very own music system. It produces sound up to 120DB and is 9mm thick.

Both the storage and sound modules require a battery module to work, which you can buy separately or as a bundle.

Infinicase is hoping to develop more modules in the future, but it will depend upon how much funding it can raise through this funding round.

The company is appealing for £2000 funding on Kickstarter. There’s two weeks to go on the campaign and so far, it’s only a quarter of the way towards its goal.

You can pick up the battery module by itself for £20, the battery and case bundle for £45 (if you’re a super early bird you can pick it up for £25 or early bird for £35), space bundle for £75 or the standalone sound module for £45.

The post Infinicase modular iPhone case adds battery life and storage appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.

The Nipper smartphone charger claims to be the smallest portable smartphone charger and what’s better is it’s powered by two AA batteries!

The tiny device can fit on your key ring and although it won’t fully charge your phone, it’s designed for emergency use when you just need a little boost to last until you’re back in the vicinity of a wall charger, for example.

The Nipper cube measures 17x17mmx17mm and weighs only 10g and can fit in a bag or pocket (although be careful if you store it in your back pocket and then sit down – a plastic cube sticking in your bum cheek can be nasty!).

Then, when you need to charge your phone, just open the cube up, pop in two normal batteries and start charging away!

The Nipper only works with devices that use a microUSB adaptor, so isn’t yet compatible with the iPhone, although the company is currently developing a version that will work with iDevices.

The device will add an extra 10 minutes to your phone’s battery in 30 minutes and 20 per cent in just over an hour, but the power output will vary according to how big your phone’s battery is and how powerful the device. It will also change according to the AA batteries you use – cheaper batteries are unlikely to give as much power as Duracell, for example.

The way in which the Nipper will be bulk manufactured depends on the popularity of the campaign. If small volumes are required, they will be 3D printed. If larger volumes are needed, they will be injection moulded from polypropylene. The two halves of the cube are connected with fabric or leather straps.

The company decided to use AA batteries to power the device because: “AA batteries are the most universally recognised and widely sold type of battery. While it doesn’t make sense to rely on AA batteries for daily phone charging, they do come in handy if you’re in an everyday emergency and need that crucial bit of juice.”

You can buy a Nipper from Kickstarter for £15 or get the premium version (with leather straps and gold-plated contacts) for £20. The company was appealing for £6,000 funding and has already surpassed its goal with 22 days to go.

The post Nipper micro-charger will boost your smartphone using AA batteries appeared first on Crowdfund Champion.