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EcoQube C- Your Window to Nature

Created by Aqua Design Innovations

Plants filter the water. It's the most beautiful and low maintenance way to keep a piece of nature in any space!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Something important we discovered
about 8 years ago – Thu, Feb 18, 2016 at 10:25:44 PM

Hey Everyone! 

kWe found something we felt must be shared with our incredible community here. Before we get to that, if you have any issues regarding your white plant medium or would like to have a replacement just in case, please feel free to let us know! We explained in detail in our previous update HERE

How you all inspired us:

As you all know, EcoQube 1 and EcoQube C was originally inspired by the lack of innovation in living decorations like potted plants and aquariums but through all the incredible feedback from you all and having multiple EcoQubes ourselves, we learned how important it was for everyone to have a piece of nature in your everyday lives that transform your living space. In our most recent blog post below, Kevin Land from our team unveils not just the beauty of plants in our space, but also a very significant discovery in the substantial FUNCTION of certain plants in improving our lives (hint: substantial improvement in air quality).

We always knew plants were beneficial but this BLEW our minds and we hope it will change your perception of plants in a positive way too:

Everyone knows that the air we breath comes from all the plants around us. In school, you may have been taught that plants breathe out what we breath in, or maybe you’ve heard that interesting factoid that The Amazon Rainforest produces over 20% of all the oxygen on Earth (http://www.rainforestfoundation.org/commonly-asked-questions-and-facts/).

We all know how important the quality of our air is, yet this fact is often completely neglected in some of the most populated places on Earth. Smog, polluted air that hangs over cities like Bejing, Los Angeles, and Delhi, is not only foul and unattractive, it is physically harmful as well. In a recent and disturbing report from BloombergBusiness (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-13/china-air-pollution-kills-4-000-people-a-day-researchers), air pollution in China as become so toxic as to be the cause of 4,000 deaths a day. Unhealthy air conditions in Delhi, India have caused one man, Kamal Meatle, to become allergic to the very atmosphere he lives in. With urbanization showing no indication of slowing anytime in the future, what can we do to bring the our quality of air back to levels it should be?

Luckily, Meattle, with the help of institutions like IIT and TERI, has found an ingenious and natural solution. And lucky for us, TED Talks has given Meattle a platform to share his solution with everyone. When Meattle’s lung capacity dropped 30% due to the smog of the city, he sought to bring nature to him, and with it, some fresh air.

In his TED Talk, Meattle reveals 3 specific types of houseplants that have different interactions with the air around them, the Areca palm, Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, and the money plant. He explains that the Areca palm, the day plant, will convert more CO2 into O2 during daylight hours while Mother-in-law’s Tongue, the night plant, will convert more CO2 into O2 during nighttime hours (unfortunately, he does not reveal why the plant has such a comically unfortunate name). The money plant, he explains, is called the ‘specialty plant’ because, in addition to converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, it absorbs toxic chemicals in the air like formaldehydes, cleaning the air it occupies.  

 Not only would having enough of these plants provide you with all the fresh, clean air you need to survive, Meattle reveals the numerous, specific health benefits that a building with this plant set up provides, “Our studies have found that there is a 42 percent probability of one's blood oxygen going up by one percent if one stays indoors in this building for 10 hours... compared to other buildings, there is a reduced incidence of eye irritation by 52 percent, respiratory systems by 34 percent, headaches by 24 percent, lung impairment by 12 percent and asthma by nine percent.” Even beyond health improvements, this plant arrangement increased productivity by 20% and reduced energy costs by 15%. Needless to say, we here at ADI were thrilled with this research and we hope to incorporate this type of natural air production into our own work space.

 All of this was achieved without expensive or complicated air filtering or conditioning systems but, rather, by recognizing that these devices already exist within nature, engineered through millions of years of evolution to produce the perfect atmosphere for human beings.

Humans were made to be in nature. We used to be farmers, hunters, gatherers. We lived, breathed, and enjoyed nature.

But in today’s modern age, we’ve been divorced from the very things that make us human. We live in sterile cubicles and cement jungles.

Why not use advanced modern technology that we’ve built to bring back what we miss most?

If you’ve gotten this far, we would love to hear your thoughts on this in the comments below.

Best, Evan, Eric, Kevin

PS- Check out some of our friends’ projects below!

GRIPBELL 

The GripBell is an versatile workout unit designed to take the place of your dumbells, weights and kettlebells. Its multiple grip sections are ergonomically designed so you can use it to work out both your arms and your legs without switching weights between routines. It comes in five different weights, starting at $19 for the 3lb version.

Redefining Swiss Automatic Watches by LIV 

The creators of the successful Kickstarter LIV GX1 Swiss Chrono present the FIRST and only Swiss Automatic under $500 Kickstarter project. Discover the Limited Edition GENESIS X1-A and reserve yours today.  

ReveaLED

ReveaLED is the world's first synchronized UV LED flash light for smartphones and tablets. With ReveaLED you can take amazing and very unique pictures under dark. They have many cool videos and pictures on their campaign page. Check out their project - CLICK HERE

EcoQube Feedback
over 8 years ago – Tue, Dec 15, 2015 at 11:28:07 PM

If you’ve already received your EcoQube, we want to hear your feedback! Your comments are important to us, and we want to know how we can improve in the future. Tag @designadi_ and #ecoqube on instagram with pictures of your EcoQube setup for your chance to be featured!

Check out this EcoQube setup from @joshua2923_3!
Check out this EcoQube setup from @joshua2923_3!

For those international backers who haven’t received your EcoQubes yet, thank you so much for your patience as our international fulfillment centers continue shipping! We’ve begun shipping orders to Asia, Australia, Europe, and Canada and our fulfillment centers our working very hard to cope with the heavy volume of packages during the holiday season. We’re excited to finish shipping our international orders over the next few weeks, and we hope you’re excited to set up your new EcoQubes!

Lighting Setup

For those of you that have received your EcoQubes, you’ll notice an inline control function with three buttons that control the lighting of the EcoQube. A picture of it can be seen here:

 We’ve been receiving many questions on how to use the inline control function, and you can look at the quick start guide included with your EcoQube or refer below.

The top button (clock with a 7) controls the 7 hour timing function. Once you press and hold this button, the EcoQube’s lights will turn on for 7 hours. When the blue light is on, this function will automatically activate every day at the same time after it is triggered, and the 7 hour timer provides optimal conditions for plant growth without any extra maintenance from you, the user!

The blue light indicates that the automatic timing function is on!
The blue light indicates that the automatic timing function is on!
The middle button triggers weather and lighting effects, which are cycled through multiple presses.
  • One press - Turns on the white light only 
  • Two presses - Triggers the EcoQube lightning effects (flashes of white light) 
  • Three presses - Cycles through colors of cloud cover 
  • Four presses - Turns off lighting

The bottom button (rainbow) simply changes the colors of the light; cycle through them to give your EcoQube a whole different atmosphere!

If you have any other questions regarding the setup of the EcoQube and LED Remote Control, you can refer to the guides on our website HERE

Happy Holidays, 

Kevin, Eric, Ryan, and Team ADI

Check out some of our friends' projects!

Our friends at Ario will keep the KS Special Reward open for you. Get yours HERE!

Ario is a smart lamp that dynamically changes light direction and color throughout the day (like the sun!) to keep your body clock in sync. Healthy lighting can improve sleep, mood, immune response, weight management, and overall well-being. Ario is based on decades of research at leading institutions including NASA, Harvard Medical School, and the NIH.

Alt, the Ultra Minimal Mountable case for iPhone 6/6s & 6/6s Plus

More than just a protective iPhone case, Alt integrates an ingenious mounting system. Containing a small neodymium magnet (the same type of magnets used on the MARS rovers), the included mounts allow you to work and play hands-free, with a simple mechanism to attach and detach your phone.

Alt’s wall mount allows you to use your iPhone as a second screen, view notifications and mount it wherever you find most convenient.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mod-3/alt-the-perfectly-minimal-iphone-case-and-mounting/

Decibullz 

Bluetooth earphones that are easily molded to the exact shape of your unique ears. Comfortable, secure and noise isolating.  Get it HERE

Progress Update!
over 8 years ago – Thu, Dec 03, 2015 at 10:31:58 PM

ORDERS Update:

It’s been incredible to see the hundreds of you who have sent us photos of your EcoQube!!!

For those of you that haven’t received your EcoQube yet, you will be receiving a tracking number in your email once your package leaves our fulfillment center, and we hope you’re as excited as the other hundreds of backers we’ve heard from to set up your new EcoQube =)

Upgraded EcoQubes with UV sterilizers, remote controls, and international orders are beginning to ship next week! If things run smoothly at our fulfillment centers, 90% will be completely shipped out within the next 4 weeks! We’re pushing our fulfillment partners VERY hard to ship all the units before Christmas but there may be a small percentage that will be shipped out in early January.

On our trip to Singapore earlier this year, we were lucky enough to partner up with one of the very best partners we could've found in Asia who will be handling all Southeast Asia and Australia orders moving forward. Although partnering with someone in Singapore (most expensive city in the region) was not the most economical decision, seeing how diligent they have been and the experience they already have, we knew they would be the best partners for us! Introducing our partners at Fresh and Marine! You can check them out here: http://freshnmarine.com.sg/estore/index.php

Moving forward, Fresh N Marine is the premier carrier for all your EcoQube needs in the southeast Asia region! =) 

For those of you who haven’t received your EcoQubes yet, thank you so much for your patience as we wait for our fulfillment centers to finish shipping! We were unable to provide more definitive dates until receiving confirmation from our fulfillment partners earlier today.

For those of you who have received your EcoQubes already, make sure you keep giving us your feedback! We love hearing from you and seeing the hundreds of awesome photos! =)

Although there have been minor roadblocks setting us back a few weeks, we are extremely proud to achieve some of the huge milestones our extremely small team have been able to accomplish so far:

  • Completed manufacturing of 7000 units. 
  • Only 2 units reported to be a manufacturing defect so far (out of over 2300 units shipped). 
  • less than 25 shipments (around 2%) reported issues (these were immediately replaced if we receive a photo)
  • We've shipped over 1/3rd (2300 units) of all our orders on time despite 10x increase in anticipated volume (2500% funded), change in manufacturing and slower than anticipated fulfillment rates. 
  • In the last 20 days, 93% of the thousands of messages we received were responded to within 1 business day. 
  • Feedback we've received from HUNDREDS of you who have received your EcoQubes have been exceptional, some of them were touching (story of kids). Make sure to check them out on instagram by searching #EcoQube #EcoQubeC #EcoCube #EcoCubeC and on the subreddit one of our awesome backers made: https://www.reddit.com/r/ecoqube/

We've done everything within our power to finish the EcoQubes on time and now we are working with our fulfillment partners to expedite shipping for the last packages as soon as possible!

You can review all the work, extra time and money we spent to make the EcoQube insanely great here: http://kck.st/1N4WGd1

More awesome final touches here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kevinzl/ecoqube-c-your-window-to-nature/posts/1317855

LIVESTOCK AND PLANT ORDERS

To stay on the safe side with our live critters, we sent out a couple test shipments and found that shipping delays due to holiday season volume and cold weather would adversely affect any livestock we ship. We will be shipping ALL LIVESTOCK AND PLANT PACKAGES in January to avoid delays (especially with cold weather). The cold weather will not affect your packages but we’re afraid combined with delays, it may. You can see how we typically pack your livestock here: http://bit.ly/21x7iel

Check out Yucheng Su’s EcoQube Setup!
Check out Yucheng Su’s EcoQube Setup!

 IF YOU’VE ALREADY RECEIVED YOUR ECOQUBE, we’re excited to see your setups! Tag us in your pictures on Instagram (@designadi_) and #EcoQube, and we may feature your EcoQube on our page. If you’re on reddit, post your EcoQube to our ADI subreddit here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AquaDesignInnovations/

For any help setting up your EcoQube, please refer to your EcoQube C Quick Start Guide included in your package, or check out this image:

To take full advantage of the small awesome features of the EcoQube, make sure your output nozzle is faced slightly upwards by adjusting the outlet so that the shorter side is on top and the longer side is on the bottom, as shown in this video:

Due to the sheer volume of people and our VERY small team, it's nearly impossible for us to go through every comment on twitter, FB, instagram, or even here to make sure they're responded to.

However, we work extremely hard 24/7 to answer ALL messages coming into info AT adiventures.net. Please feel free to message us there at any time with your questions! =) It will allow us to make sure you're all 100% taken care of.

We’re looking forward to seeing the thousands of units arrive at your doorstep all over the world!

Best, Kevin, Eric, Ryan, Matt and Team ADI

Happy Thanksgiving!
over 8 years ago – Thu, Nov 26, 2015 at 09:08:43 PM

We’re extremely thankful for all of you who have joined us this year on our mission to ship and showcase the awesome concept of aquaponics to more people than ever!

A quick progress update!

Our fulfillment partners have shipped OVER 2000 units already! The rest of the US orders will resume shipping next Monday. At our current rate, our partners have ramped up to 200 packages per day and all orders will be complete in the upcoming 3-5 weeks!

Upgraded EcoQubes with UV sterilizers and remote controls have passed all our quality assurance tests and arrived at our fulfillment center too!

You will receive an email with tracking info once your shipping label has been created. Thank you all for the incredible support as our fulfillment centers are working around the clock to get your EcoQubes delivered as soon as possible with minimal error.

Check out some of our friends’ favorite projects:

Our friend just brought us their Air Button - a stick-on, customizable, and battery-free button that instantly upgrades your phones! With just one push, you could activate your customized chain of actions and functions on your phone. Just stick the button on the back of your phone and no more fumbling around the jungle of apps! Check out this amazing Button!

We just discovered a product currently InDemand on Indiegogo, that we wish to share with you: REMI, the all-in-one Sleep Companion for kids.

 We think that you, your family and your friends will probably love this product, just like we do. REMI is a smart and connected clock that will help your baby and children sleep better. It is fully controlled with a smartphone app, and has all the features parents and children would dream of, from birth to 10 years old.

What's your time worth? What if we you can save 20 minutes a day, 2 hours a week, 5 days a year? All for 10 dollars! Introducing the fastest wall charger to ever be on KickStarter. Click the link to learn more! 

  http://kck.st/1MCZ7Ce 

The Future of Aquaponics + Get $10 in 10 seconds
over 8 years ago – Thu, Nov 19, 2015 at 08:59:37 PM

Our goal at ADI is to introduce the concept of aquaponics to as many people as possible, as it WILL revolutionize the way we grow food in the future. Our job with the limited time in this world is to push it forward.

One of the primary reasons that aquaponics has not spread to the mainstream is there aren't many all in one systems that can grow food. The cost associated with all in one aquaponics systems, as even a small to mid size setup can run for $3000+. 

However, we’ve made it easy to share this concept with your friends and family by making a brand-new Easy and Simple guide on how to set-up and maintain your own aquaponics food growing system for less than $100. 

 You can get this guide for just $1 (HERE) AND receive $10 to use in the ADI store. 

Here’s how you can hack and utilize the super-backer system to get $10 credit to our store: 

Use this LINK to generate your own CUSTOM shareable link: http://getecoqube.com/super-backer/ 

Once your link has been generated, click on your own link and back us for just $1 to receive the complete guide to building your own aquaponics garden that will grow salad for you year long. 

Share your unique link with your friends, family, and co-workers. Make sure they click on the link before they buy so we can properly track it and reward you with MORE $10 credits! 

These vouchers are good on any item in our store and there’s no limit on how many you can get. Your personal link will work right away! 

SIMPLY by using your own link, you’ve earned $10 to our store! =) 

We're excited to announce ANOTHER 500 units have been shipped since our last update!

This brings our total # of EcoQubes shipped to 1500 units! Production of our 7000 unit is now 100% complete!!!

Our fulfillment center is doing an incredible job in helping us work out the kinks in logistics and rough handling by UPS. Just a little over a week ago, we were only at 200 units shipped! We're making tremendous progress!

Check out the unboxing experience from one of our backers! =)

In case you missed our previous updates on why indiegogo and fulfillment photos:

why indiegogo: http://kck.st/1Lpide8

fulfillment center photos: http://kck.st/1I0vSO2

Make your custom super backer link here: http://bit.ly/1QRjXnN