A couple months ago we had some feature posts that showcased innovative and successful Kickstarter campaigns that helped you stay connected to your pet or were just plain cool. It has been a while since then, and there have been so many more awesome crowdfunded campaigns that we’ve been following that we just had to share with you. If you’ve been following us our social media pages, a couple of these might look familiar, but we hope you’re still excited about these innovations as we are! We’ve also got some surprises coming up for you in a couple weeks, so make sure to stay updated for that!
React Sidekick
Besides innovation and originality, we really love to see products that add real value to those they serve. After experiencing an armed robbery in college, React Mobile co-founder Robb Monkman sought out to create a solution that would allow people in unsettling situations to send out a discreet signal for help. He developed the React Mobile app, which allowed users to ping a distress signal for help or relay a constant GPS location to friends. However, Monkman wanted to create something that didn’t require users physically take out and unlock their phones, especially in a dangerous situation.
Cue the React Sidekick - a small device featuring a single button that pairs via Bluetooth to your phone and connects to the React Mobile app. At the push of a button, the React Sidekick sends out an email and text message alert to trusted contacts (and even social media accounts) with your GPS location, informing them that you are in need of help. It’s an unobtrusive device that can attach to a keychain or clip to a bag, while offering peace of mind. We really love this product not only because it leverages today’s technology, but because it helps keep our family and loved ones safer.
Kolibree
Remaining on the topic of safety, what about dental safety and hygiene, huh? Definitely not a great segue, but here’s something that we definitely think is great – Kolibree, the connected toothbrush. The Kolibree an electric toothbrush equipped with sonic technology that connects with an iOS or Android device offering brushing feedback and an entertaining experience for teethbrushers everywhere! I mean, how many of us are really brushing for four minutes a day?
With its apps, Kolibree displays areas of the mouth that should be focusing for brushing for a certain period of time before moving onto the next section, or if you prefer, you can play a game in which the direction the Kolibree toothbrush faces controls the way you move in the game. Collecting points and coins allows for more upgrades in the game (think Temple Run)! Although it may sound like a novelty, Kolibree offers daily and weekly reports on how to improve brushing habits and techniques for optimized oral hygiene, which can even be shared with dentists!
VOCCA
There are plenty of smart lighting systems available for purchase today. However, most of these setups require the use of a smartphone to operate. VOCCA changes that. By using a simple play-and-play system, VOCCA will allow any lights to become voice-activated as soon as it’s screwed into the socket. By simply speaking out loud “Go VOCCA Light” your lights will turn on and off without having you flip a switch or scroll through your smartphone. Meanwhile the VOCCA Pro allows you to train and customize up to five of your own unique voice triggers if you want to get creative – like turning your lights on when your phone alarm goes off in the morning.
