Eight great gadgets from startups that build hardware

This is a gizmo for those days when you’re at work and all you want to do is see your puppy who’s stuck back at home. Or the weekends away from your startup office when you’re worried about burglars. Dropcam is a Wi-Fi enabled camera that plugs into the wall for 24/7 streaming footage. You can access the video online, or through your mobile phone. The camera is meant to be a surveillance device, and is set-up to mark changes in motion and sound on the footage. It can even send you mobile push notifications if you want to keep an eye on your house. You do have to buy a service plan in order to record to your DVR, which isn’t too steep, however does make this a gift that keeps on charging. All in all, there are many cool uses for its free “Basic” plan, which doesn’t record video, but everything considered streams it.

The daintiest of fingers

Even the daintiest of fingers, fit for a piano, become giant pieces of cylindrical lard when they first type on an iPad. Typing on the tablet, during easier than typing on the iPhone, is on the whole a tedious process, which some have solved by purchasing keyboard attachments and screen props. TouchFire’s solution takes us back to sixth grade typing class when a bulky piece of plastic covered the key names so you’d have to learn each letter. This time around it’s a clear, plastic sleeve that lays over the keyboard section of your iPad in horizontal mode. The solution is simple: It gives your fingers the feeling of individual keys, on top, during activating the right letters on the tablet screen below. Little clips secure it to your iPad with magnets, so the plastic doesn’t flop around. The TouchFire supports a number of foreign language keyboards and was built to fit inside the iPad 1 and iPad 2 covers.

We all enjoy singing in the shower because Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves just sounds better with the tiled-wall acoustics. Now, with the power of the iPad, you can unleash your inner-Cher in any room. The Soulo mic plugs into your iPad or iPhone and works with its companion app to correct your pitch, record your jam sessions, and allow you to share recordings, if you’re feeling bold. During singing, you can adjust how much you’d like the mic to keep you on key. It as well has audio modifications just as echo and vibrato. You can turn up the original vocals if you need a little extra help.

Camera phones are booming in popularity, and their quality gets better with ever new smartphone release. iPhone users can do more with their photos using the Olloclip, a fish-eye or wide lens that attaches over the camera on your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S. The two glass lenses are fused at the same time to create a 2-in-1 device that legitimately improves the quality of your photo.

Number of different applications as then

You can use it with a number of different applications as then, just as your favorite sepia tone filter app and Apple’s FaceTime video chat app. Each of the lenses has its own cap, and there’s a small microfiber carrying case for the whole device.

You get a fun new toy like an Android tablet or an iPad and at the time the kid comes along and hijacks it to play Cut the Rope. Fuhu has a compromise: just give them little dears their own tablet. The Nabi tablet, which runs the Android operating system, a combination game console, library, school, movie theater and art studio. The apps available in the Nabi app store are exactly created to be used by children.

Child from accessing the over-informative Internet

It as well has great security settings to block a child from accessing the over-informative Internet. The Nabi tablet has two settings, one for kids and one for parents. The munchkin can play around with different apps, and access select, safe areas of the Internet. “Mommy mode” lets the grown-up use it like a regular tablet, with access to the full app store, Internet and email.

The coolest feature, but, is the ability to change the temperature from your iPhone or Android. You can pump up the heater earlier having to get out of bed to face the cold, cold world.

Okay, this one isn’t a startup, nevertheless it’s too cute not to include. Infantino’s HappiTaps Teddy Bear does what every child wanted their stuffed animal to do: talk back. [EDIT: Author is evidently too young to remember Teddy Ruxpin.] It is a simple teddy bear “skin,” which lays over an iPhone and acts as the animal’s face. You buy the cover, at the time download the companion app to make “Beary” come to life. Beary will tell your child stories, sing songs and play peek-a-boo, while on the whole looking and feeling like a traditional teddy bear. It as well has a toddler setting and a night time function. When set to night time, Beary will read your child a story, sing a song and provide sheep for counting.