Lauren Muskett

August 21, 2014

4 Min Read
Gadget Freak Review: Bluetooth Padlock; System Tracks Sleep Behavior

This Gadget Freak Review looks at a keyless Bluetooth padlock that works with your smartphone to unlock it when you are within 10 feet of it. We also look at a system that tracks your sleep behavior and wakes you at the perfect time in your sleep cycle to avoid morning grogginess.

The vintage gadget is a glove full of sensors that controls a remote-controlled airplane.

Bluetooth padlock

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FŪZ Designs' Noke is a Bluetooth padlock that works with your smartphone to unlock it when you are within 10 feet of it. Once you need to open the Noke, you press the shackle so it starts searching for your smartphone. Noke works with an iOS or Android app. In the app, you can limit the range, turn the auto-open feature off, or set a quick click code that allows you to open with a custom access code -- great for when you don't have your phone or if your battery dies. You can also set sharing settings in the app, so you can grant access to others and determine how long they have access. The app will show you a full history of when and who unlocked it.

The Noke is compact and water-resistant and will work in any area where a traditional padlock is used. It is made with hardened steel and boron, and it uses anti-shim technology to keep it safe from thieves. The battery will last a year with normal use and can be replaced easily.

You can pledge $59 now for one Noke on Kickstarter with shipping expected in February. $79 will get you the Noke and a cable and mount for your bike.

Tracking sleep behavior

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Sense tracks your sleep, monitors your bedroom environment, and has an innovative alarm. The device sits on your nightstand and works with a "sleeping pill" that clips to your pillow and sends your sleep activity to an app. The app can tell you how well you slept and give you a unique sleep score each night, so you can go back and track exactly when your sleep was interrupted.

The device also has a speaker that you can set to play white noise to help you sleep. It also acts as the alarm to wake you up at the right time in your sleep cycle, so you can avoid morning grogginess. The sleep pill will pick up when you start to stir naturally; if an alarm is set close to that time, it will go off, waking you up at the right time in your sleep rhythm.

Inside the sleeping pill, there is a six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope to pick up your movements throughout the night. The information collected is sent wirelessly via Bluetooth Low Energy and ANT to Sense. There is no syncing involved, and there is nothing to charge -- the pill battery will last a year. The pill is also waterproof. If it gets tossed in the washing machine, it will be safe.

This project is active on Kickstarter. For $99, you can get your hands on the Sense and a sleeping pill in November. The original fundraising goal of $100,000 was surpassed by more than $2 million.

Gadget Freak Rewind: Gloved Hand Controls Airplane's Flight

Using an accelerometer and a handful of sensors, a team of Colorado State University students created the Spatial Hand Remote. The gadget controls the flight of a remote-controlled airplane through the sensors in a glove.

The movement of the plane follows the movement of the glove. As the hand in the glove tilts to the right or left, so does the plane. Sensors attached to fingers are used to control the throttle, roll reverse, and the on-off switch. The user's hands control the plane like a maestro controlling an orchestra.

Do you have a Gadget Freak project you would like the world to see? Send a brief description of your gadget and a photo to Assistant Managing Editor Lauren Muskett.

Check out the Best of Gadget Freak -- Volume 2 Technology Roundup here to see some of the best gadgets that your peers have created.

When you are finished, be sure to check out the Best of Gadget Freak: Vol. 1.

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