Month: September 2014

Categories
Automotive Travel

Arctrike puts some power into lying down on the road

The Premise. With rising gas prices and a suffering environment, people are looking to new ways of transportation. Many choose bicycles or public transport, but for those who need a little power and privacy behind their ride, electric is the way to go.

The Product. The Arctrike is a recumbent three-wheel vehicle. The rider sits back and relaxes while he cruises down the road. It’s electric for extra power with pedals as well. A handle makes steering a breeze and front suspension ensures a smooth ride. Behind the back of the rider, the motor stays out of the way and is concealed. The trike itself looks sleek and rugged at the same time.

The Pitch. In the campaign video, the creators explain the advantages of a trike over a moped or car. It shows a man cruising around in the trike and his ride really does look quite smooth. The rest of the campaign goes into the trike’s specs along with the prototyping process. Arctrike’s creators really pushed their product to the limit in testing to ensure a great ride for all. This recumbent bike hopes to raise $65,000 CAD on Kickstarter.

The Perks. For $1,800 CAD, backers will receive the frame kit which includes most of the materials to assemble the trike by oneself, leaving out the battery, motor and other items. For $2,950 CAD, backers get the kit again, but including more materials, though still leaving out any kind of power. For $5,000 CAD, backers get the Arctrike and for $5,400 the better quality version of the trike.

The Potential. This recumbent bike seems like a blast to ride. It’s great for those looking for a fun and unique way to get around, at least in the warmer months. The creators claim that it’s safe, but stress that a helmet is needed to ride. One would also think that, being so low to the ground, being run over by a Mack truck might not be out of the realm of possibility. We’ve seen other trikes like this, such as the Horizon, which is designed to be a bit more accessible to people of all levels of ability than Arctrike. Still, Arctrike is a cool, fun, energy-efficient way to zip around town.

Categories
Sports

Bowling Thumb Sock offers better spins for your pins

Bowling Thumb SockThere is little that compares with the excitement of being at the bowling alley and the challenge of remaining calm and experiencing the best game possible. At the same time, thumb issues can ruin strategic throws and kill a bowler’s score. That’s why Bowling Thumb Sock was created. The slick Lycra and cotton/poly mix won’t fall off while bowling, and it also offers a four way stretch that’s durable, comfortable, and alleviates most thumb related problems. This product will likely have great appeal to its niche market of professional and aspiring professional bowlers, but those who are in it just for fun will probably be passing this by. Enthusiastic bowling backers can get three double packs for $20, with an expected delivery of October 2014.

Categories
Arts

POV Disk brings the animated GIF to the actual desktop

Animation got its start with the early zoetropes that used spinning images, light, and a viewing slot to create an effect that mystified and delighted viewers. The 21st century version of the zoetrope is here in the POV Disk. A persistence of vision display, POV Disk can create colorful and animated images by using a flashing and spinning column of LEDs right on a desktop. With applications like a wall clock or just a way to share a personal message, POV Disk is a unique and eye-catching method of displaying an image in motion.

The effect of persistence of vision imaging is not unlike light-capture photography, but it can be displayed and viewed in person, in real time. London inventor Sonia Khokhar, the creator of the POV Disk, has a goal in mind of £8,000 (~$12,500) to order components and cover packaging and shipping. Interested backers can pick one up in November 2014 for £60 (~$93). The POV Disk would have great applications in advertising, but its size is prohibitive to that kind of function. As such, it would be hard to sell this as anything other than a desk toy.

Categories
Toys

Moonshot Ring Launcher sends rings flying to the… other side of the field

The Premise. Outdoor activities at parties, in the park or at the beach usually involve frisbee, badminton or simply throwing around a football. While all of these staple games are fun, it would be nice to expand what games people can play outdoors.

The Product. The Moonshot Ring Launcher is a toy for those who like to play catch. Coming in three different sizes, the launcher shoots lightweight rings either far, really far, or really really far. The rings come in different colors and the launcher seems easy to use. The rings are 9 inches in diameter with a dog-friendly version that’s only 7 inches. 

The Pitch. While a little long, the campaign video does a good job of showing the launcher in action and really displaying just how far these rings can travel. They seem to defy gravity as they float through the air. Passersby in the video ooh and ahh at what the Moonshot Ring Launcher can do. The rest of the campaign goes through the prototyping process as well as why the creator needs more funds. He hopes to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

The Perks. Various reward tiers offer just the rings for backup. For $65, backers will receive the entire set, including the launcher and two 9 inch rings. A seemingly mislabeled tier for $80 offers the same as the $65 level at an early bird price. Estimated delivery is currently set for February 2015.

The Potential. New lawn games come onto the market all the time, but the ones that stick around have that addictive quality like Cornhole does. The Moonshot Ring Launcher looks like a lot of fun too. The only drawback is that it would be necessary to purchase two in order to shoot the rings back and forth between two people. Still, the distance that the rings can travel is incredible and this game is perfect for those who have access to large spaces to play in.

Categories
Imaging

Spinmount puts a new spin on the GoPro camera

SpinmountThe GoPro is the go-to camera for capturing sports and activities in motion. The Spinmount takes the GoPro and makes it even better. This camera mount allows the user to rotate the camera 360° around and has 180° pitch movement. With such freedom of motion, the Spinmount can capture any angle with ease. Spinmount joins hoards of other GoPro mounts currently on the market. Some boast stability while others claim to attach to anything. The Spinmount really emphasizes its ability to twist around in any direction. One mount will cost backers $36 AUD. This Australian product hopes to raise $16,000 AUD on Kickstarter.

Categories
Camping Food and Beverage

KruzieCooler makes food faster, cruises on anything

KruzieCoolerCoolers are the bulkiest part of any picnic and most only serve to keep food cool. The KruzieCooler has different uses to make eating outdoors even easier. This product boasts different compartments, a bottle opener, bungee cords for convenient toting and large rubber wheels to take the terrain better. While the KruzieCooler does improve upon the traditional cooler design, it unfortunately lacks the pizzazz of the Coolest which has a USB port, lights, and blender attachment on top of the features it shares with Kruzie. KruzieCooler will cost backers $159 and hopes to raise $120,000 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Health and Wellness

FaceCare cuts down on dry scare with healthy analytics

The Premise. Healthy skin is essential for looking young. Skin needs to be hydrated in order to stay taut and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. It’s difficult to know when to moisturize and sometimes really dry skin is the only indication. When your skin is dry, what are the best ways to remedy it?

The Product. FaceCare is a device that scans your skin for moisture. The white wand is about the size of a Wii controller and is rubbed against the skin for analysis. It then communicates with your smartphone to deliver the analytics. The app shows you how moist your skin is on a scale of 1 to 5 water droplets and tells you when you need to moisturize.

The Pitch. The campaign video delivers what one would expect, lots of shots of a woman with already perfect skin using the product while smiling. For the remainder of the campaign, the creators include diagrams of the layers of skin along with close-up comparisons of dry versus moist skin. FaceCare is looking to raise $10,000 on Indiegogo. 

The Perks. Backers looking to analyze their faces can get the FaceCare system for $20, which goes for a regular price of $29. Estimated delivery is currently set for February 2015.

The Potential. With any skin miracle product, it’s important to ask if it really works. FaceCare doesn’t promise complete skin rejuvenation, just valuable information as to how your skin is doing. The questions here are: How accurate is the data it provides? and Does it really tell us anything that we couldn’t figure out on our own? It’s pretty easy to tell how dry your skin is just by touching it. In addition, do we really have the time to analyze our pores on our smartphones when we’re getting ready in the morning? On the other hand, for facial enthusiasts or spa professionals, FaceCare may be an easy tool to gather helpful information.

Categories
Fitness Safety Tech Accessories

Jolt Sensor sits on your head, makes sure it stays there

The Premise. Head injuries and concussions are always serious and must be treated accordingly. Short of going to the hospital, however, it’s difficult to detect when a concussion has occurred. Athletes are especially susceptible to such dangers and need to be constantly monitored for safety.

The Product. The Jolt Sensor is a small device that lives on an athlete’s helmet, headband, or goggles. It’s white, discrete and hooks up via Bluetooth to smartphones. The Jolt Sensor is sensitive enough that it can detect when a concussion may have occurred based on the wearer’s head’s acceleration rate. When such an injury has been sustained, it sends a signal to a parent or coach altering them to the player’s condition. Jolt runs on a multi-week battery and can be recharged using a USB cord.

The Pitch. The campaign video goes through the dangers of head injury as well as the common occurrence of athlete’s getting back into the game too quickly after being hurt. One of the creators had one such injury wrestling and sustained brain damage due to improper care of his concussion. The rest of the campaign goes into specs of the Sensor as well as the manufacturing schedule for the product. Jolt Sensor is looking to raise $60,000 in a month on Kickstarter.

The Perks. Early birds can enjoy the Jolt Sensor for $80. At a regular rate, the Sensor will cost backers a $100 donation. Bigger tiers offer multi-packs of the product. Sensors are expected to be delivered in May 2015.

The Potential. Any way that athletes can be safer is always welcome. Many are pressured to push through their injuries in the name of the game, so it’s great that Jolt Sensor has found a way to support an athlete’s claim that they may be seriously hurt. The only apparent drawback of the Jolt Sensor is that, if fallen directly upon, it may break or push a dent into the wearer’s head. Still, the idea that concussions can be detected early and treated is a welcome concept for members of any sports team. 

Categories
Kids/Babies Toys

DayRocket shoots up into air, gives fireworks a day off

DayRocketDuring the summer, people love to watch fun lights explode in their backyards whether it’s a firework or Roman candle. Most, however, must wait until night to enjoy these activities. The DayRocket is a fun alternative for those looking to blow something up, safely. Simply load a firecracker into the chamber, place the rocket cap on top and light. It’ll shoot up into the air and is fun for kids to catch. While certainly not as exciting as fireworks, it appears to be an entertaining and safe daytime activity for kids. One goes for $25 and DayRocket hopes to raise $13,500 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Home

Bee-Kind boots bugs out, without using the boot

The Premise. Bugs in the house can be a real nuisance. It’s never fun to have to kill a bug and it looks a little crazy to be running around the house with a shoe in hand ready to strike. Without actually killing them, it’s hard to get bugs out of the house unharmed.

The Product. Bee-Kind is a wand of sorts that uses suction and air to treat bugs humanely. It has a long clear tube and sucks bugs in. When they’re trapped, simply walk outside and use the button to release them again. The wand looks like a big yellow gun with a long tube on the end.

The Pitch. Bee-Kind’s creator discusses his product in slow words during the campaign video. He demonstrates Bee-Kind’s effectiveness with several different types of bugs. The rest of the campaign uses drawings to show how the wand works. It also discusses the advantages of letting bugs live, rather than just squashing them. Bee-Kind, a product from the Netherlands, hopes to raise €165,000 on Kickstarter.

The Perks. Bee-Kind only offers three reward tiers. The first at €5 gets the backer a thanks. The other two offer the Bee-Kind itself for backers inside and outside of the Netherlands for €38. 

The Potential. It’s always a great idea to find ways to be nicer to animals. Bees and bugs generally get a bad rap because they can sting us and it’s harder to remove them from rooms and houses without getting stung. Bee-Kind is a great solution for those looking to remove bugs from their homes without having to kill them and without getting stung. It may be scary to release an angry bee so close to yourself, but at least it’s a way to get the bee back to where it came from. All in all, Bee-Kind uses innovation to kick bugs out of the house without killing them.