Smartphone-based intercom enables homeowners to see who’s at the door remotely
LaunchKey has already helped web users to boost their online security with logins verified on their smartphone, but what about security in the real world? Doorbot is a system that aims to replace the doorbell with a camera that broadcasts direct to homeowners’ smartphones. READ MORE…
iPad app enables long distance bedtime storytelling for families
Video chat has changed the way we communicate with far flung contacts, and we’ve already seen the technology applied to storytime through Smories, the platform that lets kids read bedtime stories to each other. Now Kindoma combines e-books with video calls to do the same for families who live apart. READ MORE…
Baby paintings marketplace transforms doodles into personalized modern art to raise money for charity
There are already numerous platforms that enable consumers to customize or personalize a work of art before they buy it. But how about combining the two, while raising money for a social cause? Australia-based Jellybeanstreet aims to do just that, allowing parents to create large scale replicas of their baby’s art, modify it and sell it to friends and family to support children’s charities. READ MORE…
On crowdsourcing platform, architects compete for home-improvement projects
We’ve already seen an iPad app that lets consumers seek guidance from the masses on design plans for their homes. Now taking that crowdsourcing premise a step further, Italian CoContest is a site through which homeowners can set their own design competitions, getting architects to fight for the chance to work on their renovation projects. READ MORE…
Decentralized cloud service turns servers’ waste energy into household heat
When energy is transferred, heat is always a waste product – however, if the heat can be captured it can be converted back into useful energy. This is something that the creators of the BioLite stove and device charger has already recognized, and now Germany-based AOTERRA hopes to place cloud servers in people’s homes, using the waste heat they produce to keep the properties warm. READ MORE…
Glowing polar bear energy sensor, book and app educates kids about global warming
The plight of polar bears is one of the many concerns raised due to the effects of global warming, and we recently saw the MELTDOWN board game innovatively educate young children about the issue. Now Norway-based Caretosave has created the animal-shaped Bobo energy display, storybook and app for kids, which illustrates the connection between home energy consumption and the wellbeing of polar bears. READ MORE…
Community housing scheme encourages home sharing
Projects such as Renew Australia have already tried to make use of urban space that is temporarily empty. Looking for a more long-term solution to the problem of housing in the university town of St John’s, Newfoundland, Home Share aims to connect students looking for affordable accommodation with those over 50 living alone. READ MORE…
Plug-in-the-wall device offers home control and information
There have been a couple of innovations to bring computing power to home appliances in the recent past – from lights controlled through touch enabled wall paint to cookers activated by text – but so far the home remains fairly analogue. Aiming to change that however, is plug-in-the-wall device Ubi, which enables homeowners to control their house and access the internet through vocal cues. READ MORE…
Wifi-blocking wallpaper makes networks more secure
The rising number of smartphone users has increased the demand for wifi capability for all, and we’ve recently covered new ideas providing internet access in parks — via dog owners — and even embedding the technology into sidewalk paving. However, those with private networks concerned about a secure connection may benefit from new wallpaper technology developed by Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble (INP), which can block wifi signals being broadcast outside of the user’s vicinity. READ MORE…
Speaking robot vacuum cleaner has its own personality
Robotic vacuum cleaners which clean the home with minimal human interaction seem impressive enough and we have even seen the technology transferred to lawn mowers with Sweden’s Husqvarna device. Japanese appliance manufacturer Sharp, however, believes that there are still improvements to be made on the indoor variety and is set to launch the COCOROBO, which is the first robot of its kind to have a personality, as well as the ability to respond to homeowners’ spoken prompts. READ MORE…
