Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Smart Home
  3. Emerging Tech
  4. News

Soundfloat inflatable chair keeps your phone dry in the pool

Add as a preferred source on Google

A new Kickstarter product aims to get you ready for those lazy days of summer. Soundfloat is an inflatable chair you can use as a pool float, a beach chair, or even just as a regular lounge chair. But unlike typical inflatable chairs, it includes 20-watt speakers and 70mm subwoofers, so you can chill out with some tunes by the water. The chair also comes with a removable battery that doubles as a power bank, and a touch-sensitive waterproof pouch to protect your smart phone or tablet from the water.

This means that you can watch a show or movie, video chat, or play app-based games in the water without your phone getting wet. Also, because the speakers connect via Bluetooth and have a 100-foot range, you have the option to set your phone outside of the water, and listen to music or an audio book while you float around the pool.

Recommended Videos

The Soundfloat chair comes in three sizes — a smaller arm chair, a single-person lounge chair, and a double lounge chair. It also comes in two color options — white with pink trim and white with blue trim.

The project has an all or nothing funding goal of $49,999, meaning Soundfloat will only receive funding if it meets this goal by its deadline of June 11. So far, Soundfloat has raised $4,350 from 20 backers. To get a Soundfloat Chair, you have to pledge at least $255. This will get you the arm chair, an air pump, a carrying case, and other rewards (like sunglasses and a baseball cap). If you pledge less than $255, you can get other rewards, like the power bank or waterproof phone pouch, but you won’t get the chair itself.

If you want to back this product or any product on a crowdfunding site, keep in mind that backing a product is not the same as buying something from a store like Amazon. It’s a good idea to research the product, and remember that with crowdfunding, there are no guarantees.

Erika Rawes
Former Smart Home Evergreen Coordinator
Erika became a professional writer in 2010, and her work is published all over the web on sites ranging from USA Today to…
Apple’s next home robot could turn its screen to follow you, but it might cost you $1,000 to do so
A smart display that pans, watches, and decides.
Apple HomeView feature

Remember the hopping Pixar lamp that famously squashes the letter “I” in the studio logo at the beginning of almost every Pixar movie? Apple may be building something similar, except this Pixar-inspired device won't actually hop or roll around your room. 

Instead, its motorized robotic arm could swivel the screen around (basically moving it left to right, or vice versa, on an axis). According to a new report from The Information, the Cupertino giant is working on a larger, robotic version of its recently-announced HomeView smart display, and it might arrive as soon as next year. 

Read more
Apple might be turning its HomeView into a security camera, and it makes perfect sense
HomeView's built-in camera might soon have a few more uses beyond FaceTime calls.
Apple HomeView feature

Apple’s recently unveiled HomeView smart display could also function as a home security camera, according to a new finding in its software. The device, which already has a built-in camera for FaceTime calls and facial recognition, could supposedly use the same hardware for motion detection, live streaming, and video recording through HomeKit Secure Video.

The feature was spotted by a Reddit user in the settings files of HomeView Software 27.2 (via TheVerge). Apple hasn’t officially announced anything about it yet, but the references suggest there are going to be a few more uses for the built-in camera.

Read more
What Mattress Firmness Is Right for Back Pain?
Why the right balance of cushioning and support matters for better sleep
Sleeping

This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Sleep Number.

Waking up with a stiff back is a miserable way to start the day. The usual advice is to buy the firmest mattress you can find. It sounds reasonable, but your spine, shoulders, and hips don’t work that way. The needs differ for each person, but there are a few ways you can get that healthy sleep with the right mattress.

Read more