Lately, more and more technologically advanced innovations are taking shape in handheld or mobile gadgets. Smartphones aren’t the only smart gadgets we use these days. We have the smartwatch, smart TV, smart cars, and more. But not all gadgets that carry the label "smart", is actually smart, it just means that it is connected to the smartphone via an app or via Bluetooth.
Keeping that at the back of our heads, we dug around for gadgets with above-average smarts, the kind that helps make our life easier. We found a few items that can help you keep track of your things, a very smart lock that can also help save your life, as well as a pen that will change the way you work online. Let’s take a look.
1. Bolt
Bolt is a smart bulb which illuminates your room with a variety of colors — with only a single bulb. Yes, no more lightbulb changing with this smart lamp. Its efficient LED technology allows for a 20-year use (3 hours a day, 7 days a week). Bolt also comes with a two-year warranty.
With the Misfit HomeApp on your Android / iPhone as a control panel, you can dim the lights or adjust the colors according to your mood. Bolt also uses dynamic Lightscapes, but you can create your own Lightscape or use your own photos. Bolt also can be set as an alarm to wake you sleep with a beautiful sunrise shades.
Get it: $49.99
2. Bttn
When many smart devices can be controlled via the phone or computer, bttn does this in a different way. It is a physical button that you allows you access to a service, or to control an internet-enabled device by simply pressing it. Think of it as an IFTTT with you "pushing the button" as the trigger, for instance, a bttn can be configured to let you know when your kid is home from school.
You can set bttn as a trigger to services such as Zapier, OpenHome, SmartThings, Twitter, Facebook, email, or SMS messaging. Bttn connects to the internet using WiFi or mobile data with a micro SIM card, powered by couple of AA batteries.
Get it: €69
3. TrackR Stickers
TrackR is a piece of coin-sized sticker which is easy to affix to your keys, smartphone or pet. It comes in three variations: the coin-sized TrackR Stickers, the flat and rectangular TrackR Wallet (for keys), and the waterproof, engrave-able TrackR bravo (for pets).
All are capable of ringing at 85 dB if triggered with the smartphone app. The app also can use Distance Indicator and Crowd GPS that give you accurate coordinates to your missing valuables. TrackR also works in 2-ways, that means you can find your phone simply by pressing TrackR’s button.
Get it: $24.95
4. Keen Home
Keen Home is a vent that will help keep the temperature of your rooms uniform and balanced. You can manually open or close the vent via the application on your mobile phone, or let it work to automatically based on settings that you prefer. Keen Home will open and close to adjust the hot and cold temperatures into a comfortable range, allowing you to save energy and save on the electric bill.
The vent designs are available in Herringbone, Arbor and Wave (coming soon), and it can run for years on just 4 AA batteries. There are four measurements available: 4" by 10", 4" by 12", 6" by 10" and 6" by 12". Just remove to present vent installation in your home and plug Keen Home faceplates in.
Get it: $80 (pre-order)
See More Smart Home Devices here.
5. Smokio
Smokio is a smart vaporizer, with a system embedded in it to keep track of your smoking activity. The beauty of this is, it is designed to help you quit. It monitors your smoking activity based on the number of puffs you take as well as your nicotine levels on a day-by-day progress.
You will receive statistics on your smoking habit, as well as a report on the financial savings you are getting from smoking less. A full charge of the Li-ion battery requires 90 minutes, which can then last for 750 puffs.
Get it: €59.90
6. The Pocket Printer
The Pocket Printer by ZUtALabs is a small yet fully functioning printer that prints the content you need on any piece of paper you place it on. No more feeding the paper only to get it jamming up the insides of a printer, or wasting time figuring out how to setup the correct paper size.
With a working WiFi connection, the Pocket Printer can print documents you send to it from your smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop, no matter where you are. It measures 10.2 cm in diameter, 7.5 cm in height and weights only 350 g.
Get it: $199 (pre-order)
7. Fever Smart
Fever Smart is a patch thermometer that connected to your iPhone, allowing you to monitor a patient’s body temperature, taken under the armpit. This tool is useful for parents who want to monitor a sick child but cannot be physically there with them, or for women who are tracking their ovulation via basal temperature (to conceive a child).
Fever Smart is also good for healthcare professionals to keep watch of their post-operative patients or to monitor critical patients with possibility of sudden high fevers, so treatments can be administered quickly. The team is releasing an Android app for this soon.
Get it: $129.99
More Smart Health Gadgets here.
8. Equil Smartpen 2
Some of us prefer to work with pen and paper, but find it hard to transfer that onto the digital platform. With the Equil Smartpen 2, you can use sketch, doodle and draw, write notes or plot novels on a piece of paper, then have all your scribbles transferred into digital form via Bluetooth or via the pen (and its receiver’s) built-in memory.
You can also share your writing through social networks, sync your files with Dropbox or Evernote across multiple platforms. The software will convert your handwriting to editable text, enhancing readability. The pen is good for use for 8 hours between charging, which is done via its charging case. Equil Smartpen also works with multiple languages like traditional Chinese, Japanese, Koren and more.
Get it: $169.95
9. Skylock
Skylock is a bluetooth-enabled lock that is locked and unlocked with the Sky Lock smartphone app. You can even choose to unlock it by proximity (via Signal Strength Indicator). Apart from that, Skylock also can send crash alerts to people in your trusted network, in case it detects that you were involved in an accident. It will also alert you if it is being tampered with by a theft attempt.
The beauty of Skylock is that a fully charged battery can last 6 months without a recharge, and it is powered by sunlight. This means that if you take your bike out for a ride, Skylock is continuously charging. Alternatively, it can be charged with the micro-USB port.
Get it: $159 (pre-order)
10. Arlo
If you have to install security cameras, you might fuss with wires, receivers, and settings. With Arlo, installing surveillance cameras is as easy as putting it where you want it, connecting it to your WiFi and doing all your monitoring from your mobile phone with the app. It is equipped with a fully magnetic mount, as well as waterproof container so as not to protect from rain and heat.
It is capable of recording 720p video with angles up to 110 degrees giving you high detail output. The camera starts recording once it detects any movement with its motion alert feature. Connect up to 15 cameras and monitor up to 4 cameras simultaneously.
Get it: $199.99
Bonus
Ringly
Ringly is made of 18K gold with beautiful precious stones but we’re not here to talk about jewelry, right? Ringly has the ability to notify you when someone calls you on your mobile phone. It uses 4 vibration patterns and 5 blinking colored LEDs to give you different types of configurable notifications.
The configurations can be done on the Ringly smartphone app. With the app, you can set how you want Ringly to notify you on calls, texts, emails, calendar alerts and various social applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others.
Get it: $195 (preorder)
Now Read:
15 Voice-Controlled Gadgets