Earlier this month, SONTE launched a Kickstarter project for a “smart film” digital shade that goes from transparent to opaque with just a tap on your smartphone. With less than a week left in its campaign and a little under $20,000 of funding to go, the company’s kicking things up a notch. Rather than just offering the option to blur the windows of your room, SONTE has added a new color feature that can also change the ambiance of your space.
In case you’re not familiar, the concept of the SONTE smart film is a Wi-Fi enabled sheet that gets applied to any window. You can cut the film in any shape to fit the size of the window frame, and an adapter outlet plugs into the wall to connect the digital shade to the Web. To push customers for that last bit of funding, SONTE has added a Vivid line of film that can adjust colors, turning a regular window into a tinted shade of black or red. Since the SONTE shades are initially designed to obscure the view rather than block light, the black shades can be more useful with brightness adjustment. We’re not sure what we’d do with a red tinted room, but we supposed that could set the mood for a party or a rerun of Game Of Thrones‘ Red Wedding episode.
Since the Vivid shades are added a bit late to the project, they’ll only be available in a “Give-it-a-size” sizing of 50 by 50 cm (1.64 by 1.64 feet). SONTE hopes to offer full sizing as the product becomes more developed, and will likely offer additional colors as well. The Vivid colors will cost $99 to pledge, and has an estimate shipping date of December 2013.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.