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Flood Covers help protect your water heater, furnace when flood waters rise

One of the most devastating natural disasters that a family can endure is flood. The expense that comes with the loss is often not nearly as tragic as the loss of many of the precious memories attached to personal belongings. To add salt to the wound, families are often left without a furnace, water heater, and other important big ticket items after the tragedy.

Flood Covers were created by someone who has personally experienced such losses on more than one occasion. He decided that it’s time someone invented something that could prevent others from having to experience that. The huge water-resistant bag extends over furnaces, water heaters, and boilers up to four feet. It’s fire and safety code compliant in all 50 states. While it does have to be installed prior to the installation of a water heater, furnace or boiler, once it is installed it can be easily cleaned, and if necessary, reused.

Seems like a quality product that may be worth checking into further. However, few people ever really see the installation of furnaces and the like, so it’s pretty unlikely that most will even be able to use this product. Interested backers might also like to check out Water Hero and Hydroguard. This campaign seeks to raise $27,000 on Kickstarter. For $250, backers get one product with an expected delivery of June 2015.

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Phillow lets you hide important stuff right under your own nose

Finding just the right pillow is important for getting a good night’s sleep. But sleeping means that one is unable to pay attention to the environment around them and, in some cases, important items could end up missing.

Phillow is a unique pillow that offers the user a potential hiding place for valuables and important items that one doesn’t want to keep laying around in the open or in predictable places such as a dresser or desk drawer. The product is hypoallergenic, king-sized and has a deep pocket in the middle where various items can be hidden.

It’s unclear how big the pocket is or how much it can store, but it will at least hold a small tablet. Backers interested in some one-of-a-kind fun bedding might also like to check out Pizza Bed. This campaign seeks to raise $36,000 on Kickstarter. For $136, backers get one Phillow with an expected delivery of May 2015.

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Sun Petal shading system keeps the sun out of the house, lowers A/C bills

In the summertime, the only way to stay cool is with the A/C. However, energy costs run high and, sometimes, the A/C has be switched off in order to save money. Some rooms just can’t keep cool without central air because they get too much sunlight.

Sun Petal is a modular shading system that aims to combat this. This shading system can be mounted over a number of different-sized windows. Its lattice design keeps direct sunlight out of the house. This way, those rooms that get sun all day will remain cool. The shade itself is white and attaches to the side of the house. It’s designed to withstand high winds. In addition, Sun Petal can be left up all year round because its design allows rain and snow to pass through.

The campaign claims that installation is easy. However, it doesn’t really go into detail about what’s involved in that process. The campaign also shows photos of Sun Petal at work, but each features a house with traditional siding. Is Sun Petal compatible with stucco or brick houses? A question the campaign may like to address.

Despite the confusion about installation, this product is certainly a neat one. Many awnings that exist now really can’t be used during inclement weather. While Sun Petal can’t be retracted, a definite drawback, it still has many uses as there’s always one room in the house that simply gets too much sun. For their very own, backers must donate $199 for an estimated delivery month of July 2015. Sun Petal is hoping to raise a ridiculous $750,000 on Kickstarter.

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Brewie brews beer at home both for the novice and expert brewer

Beer is a popular drink among many adults. Its brewing process, however, is a bit complicated, keeping people from being able to brew their own beer. Balancing out the ingredients and letting the beer ferment are simply too difficult for a novice to do at home.

Brewie makes it possible to brew one’s own beer at home. This large metal box comes with yeast, hops, malt and different recipes. To use, place the Brew Pad in the box and scan the accompanying card. It will begin to brew. Brewing takes about 5-6 hours for the initial cooking period and about 5-16 days of fermenting.

Brewie offers all different kinds of beer including: IPAs, reds, stouts, and pilseners. This at-home brew systems goes through 10 different steps in its brewing, so the user can add additional hops whenever they want, making it possible to brew their own kinds of beer and virtually any kind of beer there is. In addition, Brewie makes brewing beer fun for experts too and gives control over 23 parameters of the process, if the user wants.

While this machine is large and bulky, it does have some cool promise. At-home brewing usually involves a lot of accessories and work in order to create a great tasting beer. Brew takes all of the hassle out of at-home brewing. Its automatic and manual options make it versatile too, allowing it to be enjoyed by beginners and experts alike. One will cost backers a donation of $1,299 for the beginner pack. Brewie is hoping to raise $100,000 on Indiegogo.

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Egloo uses candlelight to warm up those cold winter nights

With the rising costs of heating oil, gas and electric in the winter, many people look for alternatives for heating their homes. Egloo offers warmth by candlelight for up to five hours. The mini heater uses four votive candles that sit on the base of the gadget. Then the grill and chambers are placed on top of that. Egloo’s campaign claims that it can heat a room for only $0.10 per day, an enticing prospect indeed.

As a heating device, Egloo is not the best option since it only raises the room temperature about 2-3 degrees in a room that is 20 sqm. However, if one is looking for a gadget that works as a hand warmer or potpourri pot, then Egloo could potentially add a touch of elegance and ambiance to a small room with its Italian terracotta style pottery. This campaign seeks to raise $30,000 by late January. Backers get one product for $60.

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Powerguard Greenhouse keeps rodents away so gardeners can play

During the warmer months, gardening can be a great form of relaxation and enjoying the sun and fresh air. It’s an added benefit that a vegetable garden not only offers fresh food, but allows the gardener complete control of how those veggies were grown and treated.

Powerguard Greenhouse offers a safe way to keep rodents, deer and other animals from damaging young plants. It’s not entirely clear what the containers are made of, but they are fairly see-through for allowing the user to track the growth of the plant. It is also touted as extending the growing season of plants, but does not detail in exactly what way. The size of the products makes them ideal for those living in urban areas, as well as apartments, condos and homes in suburban areas. They also stack easily for winter storage in a shed or garage.

Any way to keep animals away from plants without hurting them is certainly a welcome addition to the gardening market. Urban backers may also be interested in Garden@Home, and commuters may appreciate GroUrban. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 CAD (~$21,600 USD). For $40 CAD (~$35 USD) backers get three products with an expected delivery of March 2015.

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Free Standing Clothesline caters to those with dryer aversion

On those rare occasions when one might actually have some extra time on their hands, hanging clothes on a clothesline can be a nice fair weather treat for those who enjoy that sun-dried, windblown smell and feel.

Free Standing Clothesline is a clothesline that can offer users a large load capacity, perfect for drying blankets, comforters and other bedding. It’s not entirely clear what the posts for this product are made of, but the line extends up to 10 feet. Since there are wheels on the base, it is mobile and can be used either indoors or outdoors.

This is the second go-around for the Free Standing Clothesline and its annoying video. This product isn’t one of a kind nor does it really offer anything new, making its price unjustified.Interested backers may also want to check out the Clothes Tree campaign. This campaign seeks to raise $160,000. For $75, backers get one product with an expected delivery of June 2015.

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The Shield prevents cuts, puts them away for life

It would be nice to have a knife that cuts well, but can’t possibly slice your finger or hand open if a mistake is made. The four teenagers from Missisuaga, Ontario, who developed The Shield are trying to solve that legitimate issue.

But the inventors offer no details on what material the knife is made out of on their Indiegogo campaign page. Nor do they say how much the knife will cost or when it will ship. None of the perks they’re offering as part of the campaign include a knife either. The campaign video at the Web site shows that the knife they have come up with can indeed cut carrots and peppers, but clearly not as well as a standard knife. The teens are attempting to raise $6,000 to provide them with the tools and materials needed to advance the product. They want to create a “cleaner and more precise” knife for production.

It is impossible to gauge what chance the knife will have of success without having any idea how much it will cost. If it is reasonable, there’s no reason such a product wouldn’t enjoy some success in the kitchen accessory market.

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Sole Stacks keeps shoes in an artsy looking rack

For those who believe that one can never have too many pairs of shoes, here is a storage idea that will get them off of the closet floor and someplace where they can be more easily organized and found – hanging right on the wall.

Sole Stacks is a modular, art deco looking wall mount for storing shoes. The product comes in three sizes: the five rack for five pairs of shoes, nine rack for nine pairs, and 13 rack 13 pairs. Racks can also be stacked. The unique slope saves space so more shoes can be stored, and is intended to be complimentary with the furniture around it. Some assembly with tools is required. Which tools are needed is not clearly specified, but it doesn’t appear to be particularly complex.

This seems like a very convenient way for shoe fanatics to keep all of their shoes organized and accessible. Shoe-loving backers may also want to check out Zem shoes and Bast shoes. This campaign seeks to raise $10,000. Backers get one five-stack Sole Stacks for $60 with an expected delivery of April 2015.

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Universal Laundry Hose makes pouring soap easier, may save marriages

For those who feel that storing the laundry detergent on a shelf above the washer and dryer is too much of a hassle, here is a gadget that may solve not only that problem, but, according to the video, also settle domestic disputes – sort of. Universal Laundry Hose is touted as being compatible with every laundry detergent bottle on the market. The original cap gets replaced with the cap and hose system. The hose has a spigot so that the correct amount of detergent can still be measured for each laundry load while the bottle sits on a shelf on its side.

One has to wonder just how this works when the detergent gets low enough that it won’t freely run from the bottle and it needs to be tipped. Maybe that’s when she reverts to putting a new bottle on top of the dryer – or just refuses to do the laundry until he replaces the old bottle. It seems that purchasing a smaller bottle would solve this problem just as well. This campaign seeks to raise $50,000. For $10, backers get one Universal Laundry Hose with an expected delivery of February 2015.