Friday, October 31, 2014

Cloth Is an App to Organize and Share Your Looks

Do you take #OOTD selfies? Then you'll like Cloth. Available on iPhone and iPod touch, Cloth is a new app for fashionistas that allows you to save your favorite outfits and organize them by category, weather, brand, and more. The app also lets you share your looks with the rest of the world. And if you need some style advice and inspiration, you can chat with your friends and discover real-time street fashion on Cloth. See what people around the world are wearing by city, event, weather, and just about anything. Speaking of weather, if you have iOS 8, you can wake up to a notification that gives you the weather and your best outfits for the day's conditions.

Cloth is the brainchild of Seth Porges, who has worked in the media as a magazine editor, writer, and television contributor for 10 years. Cloth has been featured on The New York Times, WIRED, Mashable, and TechCrunch.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The iBox Nano Home 3D Printer Is Small, Quiet, and Affordable



iBox Printers has created the world's smallest, most affordable 3D resin printer, and the Melbourne, Florida-based company is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to bring its pint-sized powerhouse to market. Created with the home user in mind, the iBox Nano is everything most 3D printers are not – portable, inexpensive, easy to use, and quiet. According to iBox Printers founder Trent Carter, they didn't set out to improve 3D printing but to remove the barriers and get 3D printers into the hands of everyone. He and his team have gone to great lengths to design a completely user-friendly 3D printing experience.

Built to produce high-resolution prints with the touch of a button, the iBox Nano comes without wires or software, so users can spend less time setting up and more time printing. Most 3D printers support just a couple of operating systems and need to be tethered to a computer. By contrast, the iBox Nano lets you print from any browser, whether it's on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop. There is no software to install. If your device has a browser, you can print to the iBox Nano. Moreover, the printer works over Wi-Fi, so you can print from another room. An optional battery pack lets you 3D print on the go.

The iBox Nano uses UV LEDs instead of DLP projector bulbs, which are expensive and need to be replaced every 2,000-8,000 hours of use. LEDs, on the other hand, last over 50,000 hours. In addition, the iBox Nano uses very little power and generates almost no heat, so it doesn't require any noisy cooling fans. The iBox Nano weighs only 3 pounds and is constructed from precision laser-cut extruded acrylic or PMMA, which is lighter and 17 times stronger than glass.

Early supporters of the iBox Nano can get their own 3D printer starting at $269.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Stay Secure Online With Hotspot Shield

Hotspot Shield is the most trusted virtual private network (VPN) service in the world, with more than 250 million downloads. The software provides Internet privacy and Wi-Fi security wherever you are, utilizing advanced encryption technology to secure browsing sessions, block malware, and enable access to any content. It also protects your IP address so you can surf the web anonymously.

Available on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices, Hotspot Shield has been rated as the world's most popular solution for staying safe in public Wi-Fi hotspots. It creates a personal secure tunnel for each user, keeping online activities, searches, sites visited, and personally identifiable information private. Hotspot Shield comes in free and paid versions – the latter does not have ads and provides extra security and speed.

Hotspot Shield is a product of AnchorFree, a Silicon Valley-based company whose mission is to provide online security, privacy, and free access to content for every Internet user.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

RogerVoice Enables Deaf People to Make Phone Calls

Seventy million people around the world have profound to severe hearing loss and cannot use the phone. RogerVoice aims to change that. It is the first worldwide mobile app for hard-of-hearing individuals that subtitles phone conversations in real time. Designed from the ground up for those who cannot hear on the phone, RogerVoice installs on your smartphone or tablet and instantly transcribes what the person on the other end of the line is saying.


RogerVoice makes it easy for hard-of-hearing people to get in touch with others via phone. It is also useful in situations when you have to call someone, such as participating in a telephone job interview, inquiring about an apartment listing, setting up a doctor's appointment, booking household services, ordering food delivery, and more. With RogerVoice, deaf individuals do not need to rely on other people to make phone calls for them and can take charge of their life.

RogerVoice works anytime, anywhere and supports several languages, including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, Greek, Japanese, and more. The service does not employ human intermediaries, so all calls remain private and confidential. In addition, it uses the latest available technology to provide superior voice recognition, lightning-fast data processing, quality call platforms, and an enjoyable user experience.

RogerVoice is not just for the hard of hearing and can serve as a productivity tool at home and at work as well. Get instant written minutes of your phone calls, archive your conversations, and search them at a later time. The app will be released on Android first, with iOS and Windows versions to follow. The RogerVoice team plans to add more features down the line.

RogerVoice is currently running a campaign on Kickstarter and has raised nearly $32,000 so far. The funds will go toward the final phase of development; RogerVoice is slated for delivery at the end of the year.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Buy and Sell Gently Used Kids' Clothing With Totspot

Totspot is a website and mobile app to buy and sell gently used children's clothes. Totspot's mom-to-mom network makes it easy for parents to discover high-quality, affordable kids' fashion and sell items that their youngsters have outgrown.

Selling on Totspot takes less than a minute. Simply take a photo of an item, enter a description, and that's it. Sales will be put into your Totspot account. To buy an item, just browse the stores or search for stuff. Click to purchase, and wait for your item to arrive. Totspot takes a 20 percent cut of each sale.

Totspot, a 500 Startups alum, is currently available on the web and iOS devices. The company recently raised $1.8 million in seed funding, which will go toward improving its matching algorithms and building an Android app. The seed round was led by GGV Capital, and other investors include 500 Startups, QueensBridge Venture Partners, and Jerry Yang.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Monsieur Is a Cool Robot That Makes Cocktails



The future of mixology is here. Monsieur is an artificially intelligent robotic bartender that makes great-tasting cocktails. Successfully funded on Kickstarter last year, Monsier has been described as “a much more elegant solution” by Engadget and “a new way to do business” by CNBC. This high-tech drink mixer elevates your social drinking experience and puts drinks at your fingertips, literally.

Browse and order cocktails using the Android-powered touchscreen user interface, and the microcontroller orchestrates sensors, thermoelectric coolers, peristaltic pumps, and other mechanical components to deliver a precisely concocted beverage every time. You can also order drinks on your phone and learn more about a beverage before you order with detailed descriptions and interesting histories. Aside from making drinks, Monsieur can offer recommendations based on your taste if you're not sure what to get. Furthermore, the mobile app lets you know how much you've had so far, alerts you when your estimated blood alcohol level is high, and can even assist you in getting a cab.

At home, Monsieur acts as your personal butler and uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Zigbee to know when you're home and what needs to be served. For example, Monsieur can offer you a double instead of a single when you've had a long day at work, mix a second drink when you have a date over, and serve up a cocktail when your favorite team wins a game.

For businesses, Monsieur monitors the usage and needs of customers in real-time, providing detailed information on consumption, profit, and missed opportunities. Business owners can use Monsieur to identify consumption trends to make more strategic decisions and discover opportunities for additional revenue by closing the gap between anticipating customers' needs and what is actually happening.

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Monsieur has been featured in TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, CNN Money, Details, The Huffington Post, and more.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Narrative Lets You Capture and Relive the Ordinary and Special Moments in Your Life

Founded in Sweden in 2012, Narrative is a leader in wearable cameras and intelligent image analysis. The company's Narrative Clip is a tiny, automatic camera and app that gives you a literal photographic memory. The Narrative Clip takes two five-megapixel photos every minute, so you never miss a moment of your life. The world's smallest wearable camera, it weighs only 20 grams, measures 36x36x9 mm, has a storage capacity of 6,000 pictures, and a battery life of 2 days. Just clip on the Narrative Clip and live your life – the device will capture moments as they happen without interference.



To take an extra photo, double-tap the Narrative Clip. To stop taking pictures, put it face down on a flat surface or in a completely dark place like your pocket. The Narrative Clip comes with a smartphone app for Android and iPhone to let you revisit and share your photos. All your images are stored in your private online library and automatically organized by Narrative's “momentification” feature, with your best photos from each day presented on your timeline.

Narrative believes that our lives consist of both ordinary and special moments that are all worth capturing and remembering. The company aims to empower people to live a life filled with moments that matter and help them preserve and organize their memories. Originally called Memoto, Narrative led a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2012 where nearly 3,000 people across the globe pledged a whopping $550,189 to the project. The company changed its name to Narrative in 2013 to avoid conflict and to better reflect its vision of a world where everyone can tell their own story.

The Narrative Clip is now available for immediate shipping to most countries. Starting at $229, the Narrative Clip comes in white, gray, and orange and includes a subscription to Narrative's unlimited storage system.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

SF-Based Gbatteries Gives Your Li-Ion Batteries a Longer Life

Gbatteries is a San Francisco-based tech company that has created a battery management system (BMS) to increase battery capacity and cycle count. Gbatteries' BatteryOS controls rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, enabling them to hold a higher capacity and not degrade over time.

Designed to dynamically manage the energy inside of a li-ion battery pack during charging, idling, and discharging, BatteryOS uses a patent-pending process to maintain lithium-ion diffusion at optimal levels and eliminate concentration polarization. Meanwhile, its architecture and controlling algorithm allows for the full utilization of active materials in battery cells. With BatteryOS, any OEM li-ion battery gains the ability to store 10-40 percent more capacity and a cycle count that is 4 times higher, with no degradation in capacity as time goes by.

BatteryOS is compatible with any li-ion cell type or form factor. The BMS has been tested with cell phone batteries, 18650 cells, pouch cells, and everything in between.

Friday, October 3, 2014

DJI Innovations: Flying Cameras for Professional Photographers and Hobbyists

DJI Innovations is the world's leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance and easy-to-use small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for commercial and personal use. The DJI team, which is one of the largest in the UAS market consisting of over 500 people, is dedicated to making aerial photography and videography accessible to both professionals and amateurs.

With operations in North America, Europe, and Asia, DJI Innovations is continually investing in the research and development of advanced unmanned aerial technologies to make them easier to use, more reliable, and more familiar. DJI Innovations envisions a world where flying cameras are as popular as DSLR cameras.

DJI is founded and run by people who are experts in flight control technology and passionate about remote-controlled helicopters. The company takes pride in its advanced autopilot technology and unique gimbal stabilization system, which enable its products to produce images similar to those shot on manned helicopters.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

UpJoy Creates Happier, Healthier, More Productive Workplaces

UpJoy is a corporate wellness tool that supercharges employee productivity with happiness. The Santa Barbara startup is promoting a better way to work by combining positive experiences with structured breaks.

Employees who feel better work better, and those who take timed breaks are more productive. UpJoy exposes users to a wide range of funny, inspirational, and calming content that is customized to their preferences. According to several studies, viewing such content can reverse the physiological and cognitive effects of stress and upset. When we experience positive emotions, we become more creative, socially adept, resilient, and better problem solvers. Additionally, happy employees are physically healthier and get more done on the job.

UpJoy has been proven to significantly uplift users' emotional states. Based on cutting-edge psychological research, it provides employees with precisely timed mood-enhancing breaks to encourage creativity, productivity, and well-being. UpJoy delivers positive content that can have lasting effects such as reduced stress, improved cognitive function, increased collaboration, decreased blood pressure, and enhanced overall happiness. Users can save, share, and like items, and this interaction determines the media presented to them.

UpJoy can be customized to match a company's branding and messaging. Furthermore, HR and wellness managers can select the days of the week employees will be using UpJoy, set the time limit per session and the maximum number of sessions per day, and schedule break reminders for employees. Daily and weekly reports give an overview of the general mood in the workplace, and stats measure the ROI generated by UpJoy.

UpJoy is guided by experts in the field of psychology, including lead advisor Dan Gilbert, the Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology at Harvard, and lead scientists Jonathan Schooler and Shelly Gable. UpJoy has been featured in Nautilus, Tech Cocktail, Corporate Wellness Magazine, Pacific Coast Business Times, and UCSB's The Daily Nexus.