The notion that the wristwatch has fallen out of favor among smartphone-reliant youth is apparently
a fallacy, as a
Kickstarter project to fund a modern timepiece accessory called
the Pebble has raised nearly $10 million with a week still to go. (It’s funding goal? $100,000.) Indeed, the booming crowdfunding site has facilitated a wave of indie technology product development leading to several innovative new gadgets, including those below.
Digital Bolex: The
ubiquity of the digital video camera has afforded the everyman the ability to test out the director’s chair, but as evidenced by about 90% of the content on YouTube, most people are more interested in capturing images like the antics of their cat than crafting thoughtfully framed narratives. For more serious filmmakers, the
appealingly retro Digital Bolex may become a fundamental tool in their aesthetic arsenal. The first consumer-oriented “digital cinema camera” shoots raw images rather than compressed video, meaning that the filmmaker can alter the color and white balance, contrast, and more, without spoiling the quality of the imagery. Aaaand action!
Magnifi: One of the marks of a committed
nature enthusiast is a backpack loaded not just with granola bars, bungee cords, and protective raingear, but also an optical tool, whether it be a pair of binoculars for taking in the view from a mountain summit or a magnifying glass for inspecting insects (or
starting a fire). Now, by using the
Magnifi, amateur ecologists and astronomers can photograph their extreme close-up discoveries with the type of definition previously found only in the pages of National Geographic. The device,
the first universal photoadapter case for the iPhone, works with most optical instruments to capture microscopic and/or celestial subject matter in exquisite detail.
Brydge: Tablet devices have yet to replace computers altogether, but iPad accessory
Brydge could make the latter obsolete for many. The aerospace-grade aluminum keyboard add-on, which is fashioned to mimic the look and feel of the iPad, attaches to the Apple tablet via a click-in hinge that can be flexed nearly 180 degrees. Unlike most external keyboards, which fasten to the iPad somewhat clumsily, Brydge’s integration is surprisingly harmonious. Plus, because Brydge also functions as a durable tablet cover, there’s no need for an iPad case. Built-in speakers kick the sound system up several notches, allowing the iPad to double as a work station and bedroom cinema.
