Nice idea poorly executed
594022
While a nice idea (to hide the bugs caught) these don't work well at all. We tested one for a few days and found it to be completely ineffective.
2578666
Before I begin, I have to say i truly wanted to like this product.  However, I have to honestly say that the idea behind the product is awesome, but fails on a few different levels.  So lets begin with the positives of this product.
  Positives
1.  The size is not obtrusive and does not block any vision.
  2.  I guess you can call the idea behind the product a positive.  You place a metal disk on back of your phone and then it attaches to a magnetized ball that is on your dash mount.
  Unfortunately this is wear the positives end for me.
  Negatives.
  1.  Its not rocket science as I was easily able to figure out how to put it together, but some may require instructions.  This only came in a small plastic container, no label, no directions, etc...
  2.  The magnet disk that is supposed to go inside of the case.  I have an otterbox case and it wouldnt work inside of the case.  I had to place this disk on the back of the case.  (again not a huge negative, but i can see how that is annoying to some users).
  3.  Mounting of the unit on the dashboard.  You are supposedly pealing back the film and letting the adhesive attach to your dashboard.  The adhesive has as much "stickiness" as the back of a piece of tape does.  It wouldn't stick and i tried in on multiple different sources.  (However, one can find another adhesive to put on the base of this mount and attach it.  You shouldn't have to do that though).

  Im giving it two stars cause I can see how this works and the name of the product is exactly what you get.  In order for this product to be awesome, the company needs a stronger magnet disk for the iPhone.  The company needs a stronger adhesive sticky pad for the car mount.  This company should include instructions for people who are not handy.

  Disclaimer:  I received this product at a discount for a fair and honest review on amazon.com
2284852
Cool idea. Poorly executed. Lights are faint and gloves, instead of being sleek and cool, are bulky,overlarge, goofy looking things.  Redo them in black NOT white, with sleeker fit, made of leather or faux leather (not wool) and use brighter lights.  Nice touch to provide replacement lights.
2862186
Nice concept. But poorly executed. Major work is needed to make the user interface usable, stable, fast, and functional.
At the moment, the software takes forever to start up.  Setup is clunky and awkward.  Product libraries are incomplete and inconsistent.
Bugs in certain devices (DirevTV DVR) get stuck sending endless loop of IR commands.
Feels like it was designed by engineers with little or no UX (User Experience) understanding or background.
Wait for some major software revisions before considering to purchase.
717516
I saw this product on Indigogo as well as on YouTube - The idea is brilliant - A door bell with a camera that lets you interact with the person at your door, and have a one-way video conference over a plethora of devices that begin with the letter 'i' or run that robot operating system with some devices named after celestial objects.  Again, brilliant.

Brilliant in idea.  Not in execution.

Here are the product's failings:
- The instructions are inconsistent.  They state to hold down the main button for 20 seconds to enter setup mode.  My unit blinked red for 2 hours before finally going solid red, which is what's required before the 20-second push.

- There are no settings in the unit to configure at this point besides silent ring.  The photo you can assign the door bell is cute but worthless.  That's dev time that could've been spent elsewhere.

- The camera is NOT wide angle by any stretch of the imagination.  Its adjustability will render it mostly useless in all but the highest of door bells.  In my home, I get a nice view of  half of someone's chest and stomach along with one of the front posts of my home.  I cannot fix this.  I have to tell whomever is at the door to crouch down and look directly into the camera.  This is inexcusable given the fact that wide angle lenses are cheap and readily available, and a product like this will not have a uniform location on every home.  A wide angle lens would mitigate this significantly.  The few millimeters that the camera can be adjusted are trivial and ultimately useless.

- The audio that comes out of the unit (using an iPhone 5s) is low bitrate and played back at a slower pace.  Imagine playing a tape at slow speed, or slowing down an MP3 for you newfangled kids reading these reviews (shakes his cane atcha) - It makes you sound like you're heavily intoxicated while talking to half of whomever's chest is at your door.

- There is often a lengthy delay in getting a ring notification, if you get one at all.  Sometimes, I can hear the door bell but get nothing on my phone.  Sometimes, it just takes 20-30 seconds.  And I'm on LTE on my phone with 50Mbits down/10Mbits up on a business class line in my home, with new 802.11 AC Airport Extremes - I get 4 bars at my front door for both LTE and 802.11n.

- The retention mechanism to keep the doorbell on its plastic mount is laughable.  It's the tiniest, cutest little screw with the tiniest, cutest, most bendable allen wrench ever.  You have to unscrew this little screw out into a little hole in the outer shell to lock it on.  It's like SkyBell included the most unfun minigame ever as an added anti-bonus.

-Support isn't replying to forum responses or youtube videos showing failures.  Guys, user experience is key. When techies are having difficulty with these, once your initial batches are sold, do you think these technical thought leaders will get their mothers one for Christmas?  Certainly, if they hate their mothers.

Ultimately, the SkyBell's raison d'etre is to serve as proof that a product cannot be successful based on marketing and development requirements alone.  Technical quality assurance processes must to be put in place to ensure the product delivers on its promises in a way that enables the technology to get out of a user's way and enhance their lives, not needlessly complicate it with mediocre documentation, poor camera choices, bare-bones software design, and Smurf-sized allen keys.

I have two NEST thermostats as well as a zWave network in my home.  Not to mention 3 Litter Robots.  I love when technology serves me and enhances my life.  This is technology that makes me sad both because of what it promised, and how it ultimately fails to deliver on those promises.

I will likely be returning my unit soon.  If I can find another tiniest little allen key ever, since mine was bent during installation.
1691324
A good idea that is poorly designed and sloppily executed. The door attachments are too long for a real ironing board and not adjustable. It's not even possible to modify it to work properly. The welding is sloppy and ugly and whether or not it will last is a real question.
3405094
The concept is great. The execution is bad. Here's why I think that. It comes with two sets of earpieces. As nearly as I can tell, they are the same size. They don't fit very well. They do block our some outside sound, but even my $15 Skulcandy earbuds are better. The sound is mediocre. it is very bright, and somewhat lacking in the bass. The accompanying manual is poorly written. It does not explain much about charging, eg. what the lights on the charging case  mean and what the button is for. The microphone audio is poor the noise reduction does not work. I can put up with that considering the low price. The big problem for me is that the battery life is unacceptable. The first time I used these earbuds the batteries lasted through a 2+ hour workout just fine. The next time it was 2 hour. A few uses later and the batteries last less than 20 minutes. These things are useless.
2134282
This doesn't fit our sliding doors properly - does not and will not fit. Nice idea, poor execution.
4761453
I was really excited about this product at first. But it's not as simple as it should be to use. The silicon parts easily get out of place and it attracts mold. I can't get the silicon parts back in place so it leaks and is unusable. I will have to throw mine away. I also don't have time to clean my bottle after each use. For an on-the-go lifestyle, the design is too complicated for everyday use. Great concept, poor execution.
3400833
The idea behind this novel is a fine one, and the setting has potential: a down-to-earth literalization of the Norse myths, in which the gods -- Freya, Odin, and Loki -- are basically just people, albeit immortals with some magical powers, inhabiting the same terrain as the dwarves and giants and ordinary folk, and the myths are just ill-remembered stories out of their past.  The book, then, gives us a slice of each of these worlds: portions of its story give us Freya, in quest of a dwarf-crafted necklace of unparalleled beauty, and others follow the half-dwarf Dvalin on various journeys, while the human half of the book is given over to Fulla, a young woman fighting her grandfather's plans to marry her off while she (inexplicably) pines for the broody son of her father's killer.

So the setting is nicely enough conceived and the plot seems to offer the opportunity for a distracting, escapist "historical fantasy."  (It's not really even trying to be a historical novel in the usual way, since nothing here seems researched for accuracy and the book is in any case not very concerned with details.)  But the execution is simply terrible, and left me wishing I hadn't promised to slog through the novel in order to review it.  There's almost no convincing psychology, and characters are not drawn distinctly enough that we could sympathize with or understand their motives; often, instead, Tobin resorts to cheap narrative cop-outs like "a feeling suddenly came over her."  So both the "humanized" gods and the actual humans feel caricatured and flat.  Further, the novel does without even the thinnest veneer or pretense of pastness, the slightest concession that people in the year 1000 might have been different from people in the year 2009 -- for instance both Freya (who might, after all, have the excuse of being a goddess) and the mostly-human Fulla act like emancipated, post-'60s women seeking self-realization, not medieval ones.

Worse still for the credibility of the book's mythic aims and escapist promise, both the dialogue and the narrative are written in an ugly modern dialect of Business English with some light archaisms glued on.  When a Norse goddess -- a goddess! -- says "I shall have to sleep upon the matter," or the prophetic Norns lecture the reader on plate tectonics, or several characters say of a volcano's eruption that "it blew," any illusion of mythic grandeur and any suspension of disbelief are punctured for good.  More than good sword-and-sorcery fantasy or quest stories, this book reminds me of the godawful movie version of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Tristan-and-Isolde/dp/B000EPFCPE/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Tristan and Isolde</a>&nbsp;-- it is a cheap, superficial, poorly executed Hollywoodization of its classic and lovely source material, not at all a thoughtful new take on it.  There are better alternatives out there -- readers seeking clever modernizations of mythic stories might want to look at the fantasy&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Mists-of-Avalon/dp/0002249510/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Mists of Avalon</a>&nbsp;(which is much better than this book, whatever its publisher claims), or the clever&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Grendel/dp/0679723110/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Grendel</a>, or the thoughtful and messy compendium&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Marriage-of-Cadmus-and-Harmony/dp/0679733485/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony</a>, instead.  Or read Angela Carter's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/stories/dp/0140255281/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">stories</a>, especially her&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/reimagined-fairy-tales/dp/014017821X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">reimagined fairy tales</a>, which overflow with the wit and good writing that this book so sorely lacks.
157701
I thought this looked like a great idea. I normally use my armband running case when riding my bike, and the ability to have something on my handlebar (this can be attached to either a crossbar or stem) that I could easily access and see while riding SEEMED like a great idea. Unfortunately, the execution leaves lots to be desired.

Basically, this is a universal iPhone case, meaning my iPhone 4S didn't fit that great. It was very tight on the sides, and even with the iPhone 4 bottom attached it still didn't fit clearly within the window, meaning the home button was very hard to access.

There are also a lot of fiddly parts on this case and all feel really cheap, fragile and not long destined for easy use, especially on an outdoor product.

I had trouble getting the case to stay seated on the crossbar; i.e. still without slipping around and had to remove my iPhone's regular case to get it in. And then inserting the iPhone into the bike case, was a major pain. It was difficult to get in and even more difficult to get closed securely. I never did get it lined up so that I could access the home button and I dropped it several times. (Luckily, my case-less phone didn't shatter.)

Actually using the phone within  the case is a frustrating experience. While none of these sport cases that use clear plastic for the front are all that great, this one seems especially bad at transferring commands to the touchscreen and I could also feel the screen moving under my finger (bending, rolling). Everything took way too long to be safely operating while riding and, it seemed, more often than not the wrong command was registered in the wrong place.

Basically, this has too many parts, seems way too breakable and, while trying to work for all iPhones, fails to fit any of them very well. I'd have to say it's a big pass, especially at this price point.
2862798
This is a good idea but very poorly executed as a design.

The first problem is that center screw (of 3 shown vertically) is in the wrong place.  Unlike a pocket knife which it looks to emulate, the keys have to rotate out from the side opposite the thumb notch, that is to say on the sidenearest to the clip.  If you try to fit them in the other side the screw there keeps the keys from folding inside.

The second are all the spacer hardware.  The metal washers are too small for many keys and will distort, bend, and catch inside your keys.  The rubber grommets are also too soft and stretch around each other if you try to screw it too tight, and inside the keys if you put them directly against them.  There's also a lot of friction between the rubber grommets which makes the keys rotate together instead of individually.  I overcame this problem with a few #8 Nylon washers from my local big box for 50c, but its annoying to have to modify a product after market to make it useful.

2 Stars for a nifty idea that can be made into a workable product, but only 2 stars because it isn't useful out of the box.
4897025
I so wanted to like this. Keeps the ipad charged while using. Has a handy light (only useful if iPad not attached). Unfortunately, too many design flaws.

I used it for my ipad in the evenings to watch netflix but the flexible arm isn't long enough to keep your head straight while you're lying on your back. You have to turn your head to the side where it reaches.

Also the flexible arm is attached to the metal post with a cheap plastic locking clip that has a weird phone holder (it didn't fit my phone and it's useless and gets in the way). Who thought of adding this, they ruined this item.

If you don't move this around and use it for a recliner and not a bed it might be okay, but to have this on the side of your bed, you have the 3 metal feet at the base, one has to go under the bed otherwise it falls over from the weight of the ipad. And when you want to fall asleep you have to swing the ipad out of the way, so the constant movement is not good for the plastic clip.

Also, the light is very bright and nice but it's not useful if you have your tablet attached.

One night I swung my ipad out of the way and the entire stand fell over. Luckily my iPad wasn't damaged, but the plastic clip cracked and it would no longer support the upper arm. I would have had to tape it or get a replacement plastic clip, but could see the design flaw so I returned it. It's a bummer, I have yet to find the right holder for my iPad.
3773179
This is a review for the card holder case. Great concept, very poor execution. The materials are ok and it would offer descent protection, but the sliding back panel easily comes off it's tracks when sliding it closed. The results is the entire back panel is lop sided causing you to have to go through the whole closing procedure again and again. I want something that works without having to carefully observe whether it works every time I use it.

The card case barely holds a driver's license and a single credit card. It's not a simple process to get the cards to lock in to the system. It's also not easy to remove the cards quickly. The underside of the sliding back panel has no paint applied to it. You can see where the sprayed paint from that topside of the sliding panel made it's way to the edges of the underside of the sliding panel. The result is messy looking when you slide the panel back. You get an ugly white piece of plastic that looks unfinished.

If you are wanting a card holder case that works consistently, looks good, and can hold 3 cards, this is NOT the case for you. I would not recommend purchasing the card holder case. I will be returning it.
976979
Great story idea poorly executed.  The character interactions just didn't make any sense, from hating each other one moment to sacrificing their lives for each other the next.  Some how everyone in power knows that Arun is special and has a great potential but he never displays anything special in the book except whining. Three maybe 4 alien species in the book, they all needed more development. I'm not completely certain why there was a need for human slaves, who were they supposed to be fighting?  Couldn't even finish this one and that happens seldom.  I read most of the way through hoping something would tie things together but the book became more disjointed as it went along.

Two stars only because of a great plot concept, otherwise.......
850116
Good idea -- poor execution.  First, the Tongs don't open wide enough.  It really doesn't do as good of a job of chopping salad mix as just ordinary kitchen shears.  Second, it is super bulky and takes up a lot of room.  Third, it is difficult to clean.  Fourth, it is not that sharp and requires a lot of effort.  Overall, I should have sent it back, but I'm hoping I'll find some use for it.  Darn -- I really wanted to like it.
4843902
I really wanted to like this product, however it failed miserably for its intended use because the main screw slides freely through the top, making it unable to mount onto anything. I must have just gotten a faulty one since I didn't see others report that issue. However, the whole design is also not really appropriate either, it has a very heavy thick metal yet its supposed to clamp onto a delicate telescope eyepiece. Also its not really designed with modern cameras in mind because I would have had to adjust the elevation to the very maximum to be able to center my Nikon coolpix on it. Its kind of clunky too, not a precision instrument. If I could redesign it I'd make the entire frame a lighter yet sturdy plastic and have it more precise in its adjustments. I might have to fabricate my own since this one is going back to Amazon and I don't see any other options.