Finding entertainment options isn't much of a feat these days, with
Netflix streaming video,
Hulu,
iTunes, and many others competing for your attention. But what happens when you turn off your connection?
Entrepreneur and technologist Daren Klum believes two things: that a lack of Internet shouldn't mean a night of channel surfing or board games, and that you should have access to a huge amount of entertainment options.
To bring both to life, he created
CRAM, a system that uses cartridges loaded with music, movies, TV shows, and other content. "I call us 'Netflix on steroids,'" he says. "Or, like
Redbox in the palm of your hand."
With the service, a customer can use a special device that wirelessly streams the content to up to four other devices. That means someone could be watching a movie in the living room, while another is listening to music upstairs, and the kids could be accessing educational content from a handheld out in the treehouse.
Up to 360 movies can be stored on a single device, and users will pay about $20 per month to gain access to unlimited content.
The product hasn't launched yet, but it sure has some heavy hitters getting it ready. In addition to Klum, who has a long track record of creating technology products, the company has advisors that would make any startup swoon, since they hail from CBS, Sony, Disney, and Best Buy.
The startup has secured $600,000 in investment already, with part of that coming from St. Thomas' William C. Norris Institute. The product will officially launch in January, at the high-profile
Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
"The growth potential here is phenomenal," says Klum. "Once we hit the market running, we plan to expand from a staff of 8 people to hundreds of employees. It's all really, really exciting."
Source: Daren Klum, CRAM
Writer: Elizabeth Millard