Constant laptop and computer use force people to hunch in unpleasant ways while they’re working. A more upright posture is necessary for avoiding that dreaded hunchback look during old age. Pillar is a laptop holder that keeps your laptop up while also maintaining your straight spine. It is extremely lightweight and folds up for optimum portability, but you’ll have to tote along a second keyboard to maintain good ergonomics. Ventilation measures are taken with this stand and a pleasing angle is used to make laptop work even more comfortable. This Icelandic product costs backers $18 at an early price or $20 regularly. Pillar hopes to raise $22,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
Tag: laptop
Those of us who have laptops end up bringing them absolutely everywhere and plug into every outlet that we can find, even if the cord barely reaches. While this is convenient at the time, the laptop cords wear down and eventually break. The Python Cord Protector snakes around the cord and loops over the battery pack of a Mac cord to keep the wire casing straight and intact. One Python only costs backers $11 with an estimated delivery date of July 2014. This product hopes to raise $5,000 in its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
One of the few inconveniences of using a laptop is overheating. Many laptop cooling devices are loud, clunky and look terrible while they keep those notebooks cool. Airbar offers the best of style, comfort and convenience while it cools your laptop down. The slim silver bar looks like an extension of the MacBook. It is designed to fit a minimum 13” system. One goes for $75 and includes a felt case with an estimated delivery of August 2014. Airbar needs to raise $50,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to keep things cool.
Laptop thefts in cars and libraries are on the rise, especially for those in college. When looking for a book or going to the restroom, many people opt to take their laptops with them instead of leaving them unattended. Laptops in cars need to be hidden for extra safety. The Iron Brick Case is a portable laptop safe that will keep your notebook or tablet safe on the go. It’s particularly handy since thiner laptops and tablets don’t have a lock connector on them and may rely on clunky alternatives.. This safe comes with steel cables, several locks and a rock hard exterior to prevent theft. One Iron Brick Safe costs backers $50 with an estimated delivery date of July 2014. The Safe needs to raise $23,500 in its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Premise. In some circles, it’s become increasingly commonplace to want to build a computer rather than buy a ready-made model. Even when building, however, buyers are at the mercy of multiple manufacturers who may or may not want to add things like unwanted programs or trackers to prevent any tampering with the hardware.
The Product. Going far beyond lower-end hacker hardware like the Raspberry Pi, The Novena Open Laptop is a device designed by two men with a passion for open-source, flexible computers made to be hacked and played with. Developed entirely in-house from the ground up, from motherboard to operating system, the Novena is meant to be a powerful computing option for people who want their machine to do a lot, and who want to do a lot to their machine. With a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 4GB microSD card, and onboard Wi-Fi, Novena is built to crunch some serious code.
The Pitch. From the get-go, the passion of Novena founders Andrew “bunnie” Huang and Sean “xobs” Cross regarding open-source and hacking is apparent. That passion translates to every aspect of the Novena system, from the easy-open case to the extensive documentation for the boards that makes the hardware (relatively) easy to tailor for any need. Novena wants to raise $250,000 to bring this openly designed laptop to market, mostly to handle manufacturing and finalization of the firmware.
The Perks. Hardware junkie DIY builders can receive just the Novena board and build their own case for $500. The pre-built “desktop” model is available for $1,195, the laptop for $1,995, and for those that are obsessed with style, a hand-crafted wood and aluminum case laptop is available for $5,000. The boards are expected to ship in November, with each higher tier launching in subsequent months.
The Potential. Let’s be clear, for everything the Novena can do, it is certainly not going to be a mass-market, user-friendly option. What it can do is give hardcore tech lovers a device that is flexible and accessible to any need or hypothesis that can be tested. Because everything is open and accessible, some professional knowledge of usage and safety is required, but for those who have that knowledge, this is a compact, modifiable solution for any kind of software or hardware development needs.
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It’s a beautiful, clear sunny day outside, maybe 68 degrees. Perfect day to take your laptop outside and either do some work or just relax without being stuck behind a desk. And I Iron Arm will even create the ergonomically perfect set up for you. Whether you are laying, sitting or standing, it can adjust to your position and still keep your laptop safe and functional. The arm does require a fair amount of space, though, so it may not be an option in cramped quarters. Also, while it’s not unreasonably priced given its capabilities, it will still set you set you back a few. The early bird special of $189 gets you yours, and keep in mind that it will eventually retail for $399. Expected delivery is July 2014.
Laptops can be very hard to use in those on-the-go moments when there is no place to sit down to use them. The Frack Pack that looks like a regular old backpack is a dual-use product, specifically designed to tote around your laptop but then also fold down to use as a portable work station. Those indifferent to nerdiness stigma can swing it around to the front, flip the compartment down and work on their laptop while standing up. In this way it is a bit like the (just barely) successful crowdfunded Trego for iPads that is sleeker and less expensive. After donating at least $259, backers may expect to receive have a place in which to pack their frack in April 2014.