USB charging cables determine the stress levels involved in our daily lives. As we’ve become more dependent on our phones, technology has not followed, resulting in battery lives that are far too short to meet the demands of a technology-focused day. inCharge is a portable USB cable on one side and a microUSB or lightning cable on the other that folds onto your keyring. This way, you’ll always have power available to you. inCharge comes in many different fun colors, is flexible, and short enough so that it won’t get all tangled up in your keys. The one downside of this product is that it doesn’t have a wall outlet port, so you must be able to attach it to a computer or laptop for power, unlike the similar Tiny TravelBuddy wall charger. Even so, this product will soon become a must for all smartphone users who depend on their phones. The most basic form of this Italian-made product goes for a $9 donation with estimated delivery set for December 2014. inCharge hopes to raise $20,000 on Indiegogo.
Tag: laptop
It was a dark and stormy night. And that being the case, writers or professionals working on a document were taking big risks using their laptops and saving more frequently than ever before.
Using the same principles behind e-readers and other products that use electronic ink, the Fusion Writer is a slim word processor that is waterproof and can stay powered for two months. With a 13” LCD backlit display, solar power charging, Wi-fi and Bluetooth compatibility, and an Android OS, the Fusion Writer may only do one thing, but it aims to do that thing better than any other product on the market. Fusion Writer creator Ivan Samokish has set a funding goal of $50,000 CAD to buy quality components and finish development and production on the device. Getting in on the Fusion Writer’s prototype stage takes a $600 CAD pledge and will be ready by April 2016.
Some may scoff at the idea of a dedicated word processor in this day and age, but the amount of foresight that’s gone into making the Fusion Writer a hands-down leader at handling this task will make it a tool of the trade for journalists, authors, and writers around the globe. The only thing missing is some hands-on demonstration to give backers peace of mind that this project will see completion.
This may be the perfect item for college students required to attend lots of lectures, and perhaps traveling business professionals. Situations such as these can mean that desktop space is limited, so if a person wants to make notes in a notebook, it can be an annoying hassle. Lappito fits over the keyboard of a standard sized laptop, and has tiny legs that raise it up just enough so that it isn’t touching the keyboard. Seems like it should be easily transportable since it is supposed to fit right inside the laptop bag with the computer. As long as access to the keyboard while making those notes isn’t necessary, this seems like it has the potential to be a rather handy item to have available. This campaign is seeking to raise $38,000 by November 13, 2014. For $20, early bird backers get two Lappitos with free shipping and an expected delivery of January 2015.
Anyone who has gotten used to working on dual monitors is probably not about to go back to a single monitor workstation any time soon. But an extra monitor takes up more desk space, and can be uncomfortable or awkward to transition across displays.
The VEYEM stand, which stands for Vertically Elevate Your External Monitor, is a collapsible metal laptop stand that starts out compact and folded before expanding to a stand that can support a monitor above the laptop screen. The basic shelving principle design behind VEYEM means that it can also hold any other object like a book, smartphone, or tablet. VEYEM has a target of $20,000 in mind to manufacture these stands. The stand will only cost backers $40, with a shipping date of January 2015.
There are plenty of solutions that one can come up with to support an external display, from shoeboxes to simple shelving, but something like this that can travel with a laptop and collapse down conveniently is worth looking into for those that use two monitors. The only problems this creates is how to transport that second monitor with the laptop, as well as the actual large size of the stand itself, which does not fold very flat and has fairly large dimensions.
In a world where humans are expected to multitask, it only seems fair that there are gadgets available that allow for gadgets to multitask as well.
Vox makes multitasking more effective in our fast paced world. Oh, let tech lovers count the ways! Six ways, to be exact. These include a rechargeable LED desk lamp, USB and laptop charger, Bluetooth speakers, video recording camera, classical clock, smartphone, and tablet dock. At the touch of a button, answer the phone while using a charging laptop, enjoying Bluetooth, and driving the caller crazy. It’s the ultimate multitasking experience with each side of the pyramid having its own unique multitask enhancing purpose!
The fun is available to those who own iPhone 6/6+, as well as owners of Apple, HP, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo, Samsung, Sony, LG, Asus, Acer, and Fujitsu laptops. Early bird backers who want the six-feature premium version product can get theirs for $95 with an expected delivery of December 2014.
Having enough storage for all the necessary programs, files, and downloads that a project may entail can be difficult with a laptop. External hard drives fix the problem, but are bulky and take up space. Now, Hitchhiker is putting a stop to both of these problems. At its core, Hitchhiker is a 1TB USB external hard drive that can be connected to any computer or even an Xbox One console. In order to keep it handy and save space, the Hitchhiker has a housing that can be attached to the device itself, and then it snaps into place with a locking plate.
Just the housing is also available for those that don’t need to replace their existing external hard drive, making it easier to take their files with them wherever they go. The inventors at Deenosaur are out to raise $78,000 to make Hitchhiker a viable commercial product. Getting the Hitchhiker with the hard drive will cost backers $79, and will be out in April 2015. Most devices come with enough storage now to circumvent the need for external drives, and if drives are needed, they’re often so small as to stay out of the way. But if buyers are particularly anal about their desk space, Hitchhiker could be one way to fix that problem for good.
Laptops are great for getting things done on the go, making productivity a constant no matter where the work is located. But when the workstation of choice is set up with an expansive, dual-monitor display, moving to the single screen of a laptop can be prohibitive, frustrating, and a hindrance to productivity.
DuoScreen is a solution to bring a second screen to laptops in a way that’s never been done before. By attaching a housing to the bottom of the laptop, DuoScreen raises and tilts the laptop forward slightly for ergonomic purposes, and has ventilation to keep notebooks from overheating, but that’s just the extra features. The DuoScreen holds a second screen, powered and connected through a solitary USB port, that slides out, flips up, and is supported by the laptop’s weight so that it doesn’t take up any extra desk space.
The 15.6” LED screen supports resolution up to 1920×1080, meaning there’s no sacrifice when it comes to display quality. Additionally, the screen can be rotated up to 180 degrees, perfect for an impromptu presentation or collaboration session. The DuoScreen holds laptops in place on its base with elastic straps, meaning there’s no risk of damaging the case of the laptop, and that it can fit many different models and sizes. The inventors at Nomadz have their target goal of $100,000 to pay for production. Anyone looking to add a screen to their laptop can grab a DuoScreen for $239 in May 2015.
The crowdfunding product space is proving that adding a second screen to laptops is an issue that needs addressing as soon as possible. While DuoScreen may have just a little too much size and thickness to make it practically portable, the amount of extra little touches could make it a great option for certain laptop power users, much like the similar Packed Pixels.
The name laptop is given to computers that can theoretically be held in one’s lap, if one’s lap were in a heat-resistant suit and not capable of being burned. EASEL is a pair of magnetic legs for the bottom of a laptop, making it a comfortable fit on any flat surface. The EASEL lifts the laptop up and angles it forward, making it more comfortable on eyes, necks, and wrists. The added bonus to this is that it creates a space for airflow beneath the laptop that will let heat out as needed.
Because EASEL has just the two legs that can be adjusted to fit any width of laptop, it’s a snap to remove from the laptop. Then, the magnetism of the legs makes them click together when nearby, meaning users won’t wind up losing only one leg and can easily tuck them into a laptop bag. Designed by Arizona inventor Jordan Mummert, EASEL is going to take $7,200 to buy materials and handle shipping. For $36, they can be placed under the buyer’s laptop in November 2014. These laptop legs are beginning to become easier to find, but if those that like the aesthetic, simplicity, and magnetism of EASEL can easily get stuck on this product.
Among those things we do all the time that are awful for our health, sitting is the new smoking. That’s why many sedentary office workers are finding new and interesting ways to avoid sitting all day. The StandStand offers one such solution in the form of a laptop riser. The wooden stand sits atop any desk or table making it possible to stand at your computer anywhere. While not completely revolutionary, StandStand provides the convenience that most standing desks fail to offer. One of these wooden stands costs backers $50 on Kickstarter with a $15,000 campaign goal.
The Premise. Creative types know that getting the most of the digital side of their work takes a very specific build of programs and hardware to make the most of them. A simple desktop or tablet may not be enough, and in those cases a little extra firepower comes in handy.
The Product. The Modbook Pro X is essentially a reconfiguration of the beloved MacBook Pro, turning a versatile laptop into an even more capable tablet that offers the functionality of a dedicated artist’s tablet with a vibrant HD screen that uses mind-boggling high resolution. By tearing apart a MacBook and fitting it into a new case with touch-screen display that offers 2,048 levels of pen sensitivity, the Modbook Pro X gives users the flexibility of a device that can run OS X or Windows, all the apps that any MacBook can run normally, and adds ease of use and an experience tailored to artists and designers to the package.
The Pitch. Modbook Pro X isn’t for everyone, and the pitch video doesn’t try to pretend otherwise. Focusing on those who require the full output from programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, the Modbook team showcases almost exclusively the ways in which their device can make the lives of those in the graphic arts that much easier. Modbook needs $150,000 almost entirely for manufacturing costs.
The Perks. Getting a functional Modbook Pro X is going to take a little bit of coin. For $1,999, an existing, owned MacBook Pro with a 15.4-inch Retina display (from no later than late 2013) can be sent to the developers, who will tear the device down and reassemble it as a Modbook Pro X. The Keybars on the back of the device are added at the $2,299 level, while those who pay $2,689 will also get the Keyboard Stand. Anyone without an existing and compatible MacBook Pro can get a complete package for as little as $3,999, going as high as $5,689 for a top-end system with all the bells and whistles. The base perks won’t ship until March 2015, while the higher-tier items will be out as early as December 2014.
The Potential. A Retina display combined with pen controls has never been attempted before, and for some people this will be the kind of dream machine that will be pinned to their corkboard as a sports car of rigs for work and play. The high price point and requirement of owning a MacBook Pro at lower levels will shy away all of the potential backers who might just be looking for some new tech to play with.