5 weird tech products on Kickstarter

Let's face facts: While many of us rely on digital devices -- like smartphones, tablets and laptops -- these common gadgets are far more ordinary than extraordinary.

And so why not grab gadgets with some personality?

If you're on the lookout for something more, er, unique -- or borderline strange -- consider one of the following five tech toys that stray from the norm.

All are Kickstarter projects you can back right now, but of course, keep in mind there are always risks with crowdfunded projects.

Have any of your own you’d like to share? Tell us in the Comments section.

ReveaLED (from $25)

Dubbed the world’s first synchronized UV LED flash light for smartphones and tablets, ReveaLED plugs into the 3.5mm audio jack of your device and lets you take ultraviolet photography in the dark.

“There are many natural objects and substances that fluoresce under ultraviolet light,” explains Washington D.C.’s Bite Designs, “however not all the UV LED lights are capable of showing the details of the glowing items -- and so we developed [one].”

While you might not have immediate access to glowing rocks, minerals, and animals, there are many household items that will work, plus there’s an embedded video on this Kickstarter page on how to make a UV lava lamp. Because the ReveaLED has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, you can also use it without connecting it to your device.

MyndGazer (from $79)

While it might not be as “animated” as the inner emotions from Pixar’s Inside Out, Myndgazer is software that gives you a visualization of your brainwaves – your neural activity in the central nervous system – which can be viewed in 2D on a computer screen (PC or Mac) or better yet, in 3D VR with virtual reality headsets such as Oculus Rift.

The software works with non-evasive headsets worn outside of the scalp, like the Neurosky Mindwave, or you can purchase a bundle that includes one from this Kickstarter project. The developer says they’re testing MyndGazer with Interaxon’s Muse and other headsets that can track brainwaves.

“As you meditate, placing your awareness on the changing images and relaxing, the visualization changes again and you instinctively learn to stay with that mind state, resting and open,” says MyndGazer. “The fully immersive EEG feedback can be used to increase mental relaxation or attention.”

Sensorwake ($109)

You know that awesome smell of coffee in the morning? Imagine if you could wake up to that without having to make it first.

Billed as the world’s first olfactory alarm clock, Sensorwake nudges you out of sleep by emitting a desirable fragrance for a couple of minutes, via small cartridges inserted on top of the hi-tech clock. (And yes, if you don’t turn it off, it will revert to an audible alarm.)

Along with fresh coffee, hot croissants, mint, peaches, and about a dozen or other flavors, there’s also the scent of money, believe it or not. Replacement scent cartridges cost $10 for two, each with a lifespan of 30 uses.

The product was a hit at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Hot Band (from $49)

Expected to hit Kickstarter this week, the Hot Band turns any wristwatch into a smartwatch.

From a company called PHTL in Plano, Texas, Hot Band pairs with any Bluetooth-enabled smartphone and comes with two fob options -- for $49 apiece or $79 for both – which clip onto your watch band. One is the Hot Band Audio Fob, to take hands-free calls on your wrist, and can also be detached and used as a standalone Bluetooth headset. The other is a Hot Band Smart Fob, which adds touch-enabled smartwatch features, such as phone notifications (including text messages), fitness stats, music controls, and real-time weather. They can be swapped out at any time, depending on your needs.

Hot Band will attach to any watch using a 20-24mm band, plus it also works with existing smartwatches that might lack some features -- such as those who want to make phone calls through the Pebble. Therefore, you’d only pick up the Hot Band Audio Fob and not have any use for the Hot Band Smart Fob.

Holo – Smartphone & Tablet Hologram Projection Reflector (from $19)

Quite simply, Holo is an entry-level hologram projector that works with smartphones, and another model is designed for tablets (from $28).

While not a “true” hologram, as Holo maker Uppfinr explains, three-dimensional hologram videos – such as the thousands available on YouTube – can be projected into a pyramid to give the illusion of a 3D image floating inside.

But unlike other products, it doesn’t need to be pitch black to see the hologram. Both the smartphone version (5.4 x 4 x 2.2 inches) and tablet version (8.7 x 6.2 x 3.1 inches) use highly reflective transparent mirror polymer plastic on the pyramid, “making the hologram appear extremely crisp and realistic…and can be used in a well-lit room,” says Uppfinr.

How does it work? The hologram video -- which could simply be a rotating still image – has the object split into four quadrants, and so when the smartphone or tablet is placed upside-down on the Holo, the image is reflected onto the pyramid and thus creating the illusion of a three-dimensional hologram.

Columnist Marc Saltzman writes on tech devices and trends for USA TODAY. Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. E-mail him at techcomments@usatoday.com.