Crowdfunded in China: cheap 3D printers, smart thermometers, and glucometers for your phone

All of the projects in this month’s edition of Crowdfunded in China come courtesy of Demohour, the country’s leading tech-focused crowdfunding site. The site seems to be doing better every time we visit. This month had more new projects raising larger amounts of funding than we’ve seen in the past. Our top picks have all reached their goals but are still raising money.

Allone – turn your smartphone into a universal remote

In previous editions of Crowdfunded in China, we’ve covered a couple gadgets that let you control devices and appliances in your home, like the Netseed Smart Life and the Smart Plug. But Allone takes the cake not only because it can support more devices, but also because it can control a wider variety of functions on those devices. This slick little saucer turns your smartphone into a universal remote to adjust the volume on your speakers, control playback on a DVD player, find your favorite shows on a set-top box, flip through channels on the TV, and turn on the air conditioner and lights. Oh, and it’s also a wi-fi router. It looks great and you can mount it anywhere – even on the ceiling. Basic daily tasks can be scheduled into the app, like turning off the air conditioner when you head to work. Allone will be available on both iOS and Android. It has raised RMB 168,000 (US$27,000) on Demohour, and fundraising ends on April 15.

Mostfun – 3D printing on the cheap

I’ve seen budget 3D printers before, and they never looked as good as this. The Mostfun 3d printer is probably smaller than your microwave and comes with a fully-enclosed shell with windows, instead of the open-air versions you can usually buy in the entry-level consumer price range. It’s capable of offline printing via SD card and online printing via wi-fi. It supports Cura and RepetierHost design software. It’s difficult to judge just by looking at the photos, but the print quality looks quite detailed. Mostfun will be competing against Singapore’s Pirate3D, which just shipped its budget Buccaneer printers this month. The basic version will cost RMB 3,580 (US$575) and the Pro version will be RMB 4,780 (US$768). Mostfun has raised RMB 134,000 (US$21,500) on Demohour, and fundraising ends on May 12.

Giraffe Friend – sit up straight, slouch!

As someone who is actively trying to improve my everyday posture, I can identify with the backers of this project. Pin this minimalist button to your shirt, and it will monitor whether or not you’re sitting up straight. If you begin to slouch, it alerts you with a gentle vibration. It also connects to an app on your smartphone via Bluetooth so you can keep track of your progress. The device comes in a wide array of colors to suit your style. Giraffe Friend has raised RMB 67,394 (US$10,800) on Demohour, and fundraising ends April 20.

Dnurse – smartphone-connected glucometer

114 million people in China live with diabetes, according to this project’s profile page. That’s a big target market for Dnurse, a glucometer that plugs into your Android or iOS device. Just insert the blood sample strip into Dnurse, which then jacks into your phone. The patient’s blood glucose will appear in the app, which keeps track of his or her history. The device is about one-third the size of an average smartphone. You can even share your results to various social networks. Why? How should I know? I’m not diabetic. It’s finger-pricking good! Dnurse has raised RMB 118,000 (US$19,000) on Demohour and fundraising ends today.

Raiing and Smart Bean – nighttime smart thermometers for you and your baby