When a vehicle owner is out and about on a hot day, parking in a garage is not always an option. And in the dead of winter, digging out a vehicle and deicing it is an inconvenience that can take a terribly long time. Swift Shade offers a solution for both situations. In the summer, it can lower the temperature inside the vehicle 50-90 degrees. In the winter, it blocks snow and ice from gathering on windows. The wraparound product also has a built in alarm for deterring theft. For $200, backers get one product designed for a standard truck, or $400 for customization. Expected delivery is August 2014.
Month: June 2014
Lately, we’ve seen a trend in using products to maximize one’s fitness. Apps and gadgets make it easier to see one’s performance level as well as progress made over time. The PulseOn closely resembles pulse-monitoring watches from companies such as Polar, but requires no chest strap. With this wristband, the heart rate is monitored and that information is sent wirelessly to an accompanying app that helps track progress. In addition, this Finnish gadget keeps a record of fitness intensity, distance, time, and speed for runners. One of these wristbands will cost backers $169 USD. PulseOn hopes to raise $150,000 USD in a two month-long campaign on Indiegogo.
Whether a person is at the computer, in the kitchen, or driving, mobile devices that lay flat can make things like surfing the net, cooking with a downloaded recipe and driving to a new destination complicated. Smart-Snap-Mount works via magnetic mounting brackets on one end and specialized tape on the other. The ball-head mount and goose-neck keep the device from vibrating, even if driving on a bumpy road. Early bird backers get a four piece set for £100, with a swift estimated delivery of June 2014.
The Premise. Tablets and online games have captured children’s imaginations so much so that kids don’t seem to have fun off screen anymore. It’s difficult for parents to get their children to explore the three-dimensional world while competing with digital wonders.
The Product. Osmo is a unique gaming system that combines the entertainment of an onscreen game with the interaction of physical objects. With three different game choices, kids can hook up Osmo to a recent iPad and play onscreen and off at the same time. The games included focus on tangram puzzles and patterns, drawing shapes, and word scrambles. The accompanying base attachment clips over the iPad’s camera and uses Artificial Intelligence and a built-in mirror to allow the iPad to reflect the child’s movements onscreen in real time. In simpler terms, the iPad shows the child moving the shapes, for example, on its screen and uses this information to determine if the child is on the right track.
The Pitch. Osmo’s simple video shows one, two, and then a bunch of kids flocking to play with the product. The children ooh and ahh at the game and seeing the product in action will elicit the same reaction from viewers. Pictures of children playing with the device in a myriad of ways pepper the rest of the campaign. Testimonials from educators and parents as well as logos from a number of respectable news sources give the product some authority. In addition, Osmo’s campaign exists on its own website as opposed to on a crowd-funding site. For this reason, they have no public goal set on their site. They will be accepting pre-orders for backers until June 22nd.
The Perks. Osmo’s site offers only one reward. For 50% off of the retail price of $99, backers will receive the Osmo kit for only $49 with the base attachment, and Words and Tangram games (iPad not included, obviously). The creators expect to ship by late summer 2014.
The Potential. To put it quite simply, Osmo is really cool. It’s the type of game that would be glimpsed at in a movie set in the future. Not only is it rare that a product for children combines the physical with the digital, but it also uses games that help kids’ minds to learn and grow. The retail price seems extremely reasonable and the pre-order price is an absolute steal. Osmo also lets kids play together, using several two-player modes, cutting down on the type of social isolation that screen games usually cause. All in all, Osmo will enjoy great success on the market, creating fun for children and parents alike.
For those who aren’t content to just lay around on the beach, Beach Chess offers the option to have some mental stimulation while baking in the sun. And one can still take in the…um…sites as one’s opponent contemplates their next move. The six chess pieces are embossed on each side of a plastic cube (one black and one white for two player fun) and the sand becomes the chess board. As long as the game isn’t being played too closely to the water, this could attract the attention of some interesting people. For $25, backers get the complete product with an expected delivery of July 2014.
While there are many people out there who love their tie shoes, it seems that shoelaces become untied at the least convenient times. Shnap is the newest attempt to get shoelaces under control without having to double knot them. The three-part system uses the shoelace hole farthest from the toes and includes a base part with a raised center that pushes through the shoelace hole from the tongue side, a small piece that attaches to the shoelace, and a third piece that seems to snap on and hold it all together. There are four Shnaps for each pair of shoes. Other campaigns aimed at securing your laces have included Zipped and Innie. For $8, early bird backers get a one set of Shnaps and an expected delivery of September 2014.
There are days when life is so busy that mobile users forget to charge their devices at home. When that happens and they choose to charge at work or a public port, it can mean that data gets compromised, or worse, they get juice jacked. So Umbrella USB keeps the reign of cyber bullies from falling on the precious data of rightful mobile owners. A similar campaign that is rather colorful in nature if not in hue would be the USB Condom, but this effort looks more like a finished product than a hobbyist’s project. For $9, backers get one USB Umbrella with an expected delivery of October 2014.
The problem of rest while in transit is a doozy. For those who have trouble falling asleep on the move, traveling can be extremely uncomfortable. The JQ Headrest aims at helping weary passengers get some rest. It comprises of an adjustable pole that rests on the forehead and chest to let passengers sleep leaning forward. Despite its awkward look, it claims to be effective, much like the Forward Front Face Pillow Cushion. If backers think they can get it past security, they only have to pay $36 (if they live in China and have a lung disease) for delivery in August 2014. Healthy, non-Chinese backers must donate $99. JQ hopes to raise a huge $386,000 goal in a 27-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Premise. 3D printers have promising applications in the home, but few people really have the tools necessary to get the most out of it. For those who aren’t pro computer modelers or designers, a 3D scanner would accomplish the job easily, but the technology tends to be pricy and hard to acquire for the end user.
The Product. The Pouff3D is a simple 3D scanner that works in a rather ingenious way. Almost resembling a wicker basket, to scan an object with the Pouff3D, one simply opens up the device, places the object to scan inside, and then attaches their smartphone to the interior. The Pouff3D will then move the phone automatically around the device, using a built-in light to evenly illuminate the item from each angle.
The Pitch. The video introduction for the Pouff3D is mostly to illustrate the concept than show the device in action. Wombex, Inc., the company responsible for the device, basically demonstrates how the scanner will work once it’s closer to being ready. The early bird prices are a great incentive for backers to jump on the Pouff3D bandwagon now, saving up to 40% on the projected retail cost. The rest of the campaign materials hope to clear up some of the questions, but a lot of the specifics are still being established for the prototype. Wombex needs $85,000 to finalize the design, hardware, and software before manufacturing can begin.
The Perks. The Pouff3D scanner is expected to ship out in April 2015 with a couple different available options. A drape-coated version is available for $299, while a leather-coated version will be provided for $449, both available in a variety of colors.
The Potential. This is an interesting take on the 3D scanner and could be an affordable way to transform the average, everyday smartphone into something that can be extremely helpful when it comes to 3D modeling. The minimal, modern design will blend in effortlessly in any office or studio shelf, but the powerful capabilities this device can offer for those who need it are deceptively hidden to the unaware eye. The precise details of just how great this device can be are still a little shrouded in mystery, but if Wombex can deliver on all of their promises, this could be the go-to tool for the amateur 3D printer.
Modern keyboards are functional and get the job done, but lack the pizzazz and flair of old typewriters. The Qwerkywriter is a mechanical keyboard that looks completely vintage, but connects via USB to computers or tablets and even has an integrated tablet stand. Right now, the Qwerkywriter features 84 keys, but the creator has plans to expand that in the future. One of these vintage-looking keyboards will cost backers $289 at an early price or $299 regularly for delivery in August 2015. The Qwerkywriter hopes to raise $90,000 in a month-long Kickstarter campaign.