Following up: Any more bright ideas?
The December issue of HCN highlighted some of the home improvement products making the rounds — and collecting pledges — on crowd-sourced funding sites, like Kickstarter.com. The floodgates appear to be opening, with no shortage of ideas in and around the home. There’s no question that the platform is a boon for inventors. But retailers and homeowners? Time will tell. Here are three more products, along with some insider criticism:
• Goldee Light Controller
Claim: “World’s smartest light switch” allows users to control their lights with a wave of their hand. It can also be programmed to wake you up with a gentle bath of light.
Critic says: Great video, but I can already control my lights with a flip of a switch, or a twist of a knob.
• Garage Border Control
Claim: It’s the largest opening for most homes. What if you leave the garage door open too long? The Garage Border Control, working in concert with existing door-opening systems, sits on the rail and knows when to close it again.
Critic says: There’s a reason my garage door is open: I want it open.
• Axis Blinds
Claim: Designed with students and renters in mind, this easy-to-install, extendable product uses no screws or nails. A tension bar keeps the plain vanilla blinds in place and fits any window size, no measurements necessary.
Critic says: Why didn’t I think of that?