Digitsole
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ICYMI: Action sports drone, the future of shoes and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-364035{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-364035, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-364035{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-364035").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: AirDog took us on an adventure in the desert to showcase its nearly $1600 drone that can follow action sports junkies autonomously. While other action drones that follow users exist, AirDog claims this one is superior based on 40mph speed and software settings that change depending on the activity of choice. The major drawback for now is that one removable battery charge lasts only 14 minutes, which meant an attempted landing was more of a controlled crash when we took it for a spin.
Feet-on with the Digitsole warming smart insoles
Sure, the idea of smart shoe insoles may sound a tad ridiculous when just about everything tracks our steps. But how about insoles that can also warm up your toes? We had a chance to try out the Digitsole warming smart insoles at CES, and while they weren't world-changing enough for us to drop $200 on them, they certainly worked as advertised. I felt my foot gradually warm up to the point of toasty when I tested them, as if I was sitting in front of a roaring fire (except I was actually standing in a chilly Las Vegas convention room). Digitsole can reach up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and its battery (rechargeable via USB) lasts six to nine hours. You can control the temperature via an iPhone or Android app, which is also where you can track the amount of steps you've taken and calories burned.
Crowdfunding Roundup: Unbreakable smart door locks and powerful purses
Each week, TUAW provides readers with an update on new or significant crowdfunded Apple-related projects in the news. While our policy is to not go into detail on items that haven't reached at least 80 percent of their funding goal, this update is designed to give readers a heads-up on projects they might find interesting enough to back. Being a fan of both home security and smartphone-controlled locks, I was very intrigued with this week's first entry. Haven is something a bit different for a lock, replacing the standard deadbolt with a wedge that is almost impossible to budge once it's locked. They show that about the only way you're going to get in through a door locked with Haven is with an axe ... and only after a lot of work. The project is 17 percent funded with a month to go, but I think this is worthy of support. Now, I can actually say that I have seen everything. Digitsole is a campaign (and Kickstarter Staff Pick) that brings the world of connected devices to your feet. It's a "connected insole", used to warm your feet, track your distance, and count how many calories you've burned. Digitsole is funded, currently at 154 percent of goal with over a month to go. Now for a couple of game projects. First up is Paradigm, billed as a surreal adventure game set in "post apocalyptic Eastern Europe with an ugly mutant protagonist and an evil sloth antagonist." Some of the backers will actually have their likeness included in the game, and there are other benefits if you put your wallet behind this project. It's currently at 172 percent funding with 11 days to go. Our other game is an awesome role-playing game called Star Traders 2. The team behind the project says "We've mingled inspirations from genre-defining series like Firefly and Battlestar Galactica, books like Dune, and games like Mass Effect, Pirates!, and Dwarf Fortress." The primary inspiration? The original Star Traders RPG. It's 69 percent funded with only 8 days to go. Come on, gamers! And now something for our more fashionable geekettes: Everpurse, a stylish purse with a charging dock built into it. Just slide your iPhone 5 or 6 (not sure it's big enough for the 6 Plus) into the charging pocket and you'll get up to 96 hours of juice. When the purse itself needs a charge, just drop it onto a tray for wireless charging. Unfortunately, Everpurse is only 6 percent funded with a month to go in the campaign. Step it up, ladies! I like seeing projects that are over goal and just about ready to launch. That's the case with Verve2, by inXus interactive out of Irvine, CA. Verve2 is billed as "LEGOs of the future" allowing you to "Create amazing projects by plugging the world around you to your computer or internet." It comes with a pile of sensors; force, touch, pushbutton, light, turn, motion, magnet, sound, and temperature. There's also a DIY sensor! It's perfect for students or anyone who wants to futz around with stuff. It's 301 percent funded with just 4 days to go. Last this week is another educational project, this one aimed at girls to get them interested in coding. Vidcode lets girls learn programming by letting them create video effects with code. The Kickstarter campaign will let the developers create more content for Vidcode users and deliver the first real product to schools. But this project needs your help, as it's only 43 percent funded with 26 days to go. Let's push it over the top! We'll be back next Thursday for another roundup of crowdfunded projects that you can support or ignore. Many thanks again to Hal Sherman for providing some tips about new and exciting projects, and if you're aware of any other crowdfunded Apple-related projects, be sure to let us know about them through the Tip Us button at the upper right of the TUAW home page for future listing on the site.
Digitsole's smart insoles keep your tootsies warm as you walk
Most people believe that wrist-worn wearables are technology's next frontier, but only one company that we know of has thought about our feet. Today, that number increases to two, now that Digitsole has announced an interactive insole that's designed to heat your feet. Connecting to your smartphone over Bluetooth 4.0, you use the companion app for iOS or Android to set the temperature to a maximum of 40 C/104 F. Of course, no piece of wearable technology is complete without some sort of activity tracking, so in addition to keeping your little piggies warm, the smart insoles will monitor the distance that you've walked and the calories that you've burned.
