The World’s First Kids Guitar offers a six-strong guitar that’s specifically designed for kids. With a child’s size and accident proneness in mind, the right-sized instrument is designed to be lightweight with fragile parts better protected than they are on regular guitars. Different reward tiers offer a variety of perks including studio session time and the like, but the most basic reward tier that includes the guitar goes for $250; the project creator justifies the price by moting that the guitar uses premium components and materials. The current estimated availability is July 2014. The World’s First Kids Guitar’s creators are looking to raise $10,000 on Kickstarter in their 25-day campaign.
Month: February 2014
Guitar picks come in all different colors and patterns, but never quite like this before. Nose Picks offers guitar picks with different types of noses on them. Nose Picks’ creator, Luke Wattchow, includes sketches of different noses on his Kickstarter campaign, awkwardly displaying three prototypes he labels as “white man”, “jew” and “hairy”… may not the best way to attract backers. Also, each Nose Pick costs $10, a staggering amount of money for a guitar pick. Wattchow hopes to raise $1,000 with his 30-day campaign, estimating delivery by April 2014.
The Premise. Lace-up sneakers can take awhile to get on and off. Some people are too lazy to untie their shoes and opt to slip their shoes on and off, but this creates friction at the back of the sneaker. Because of this, their shoes end up wearing out quickly.
The Product. ZIPPED offers custom-made zippers that attach easily onto lace-up sneakers. The product resembles a narrow piece of cloth with eyelets on the side and a zipper in the middle. Instead of having the laces cross as they do normally, they stay on one side and ascend up the eyelets of the ZIPPED. ZIPPED com, ultimately being knotted solo. The product comes in different styles, shapes, patterns and colors.
The Pitch. ZIPPED’s Indiegogo campaign is rather sparse, but shows the different styles that ZIPPED can be ordered in, along with a guide for how to get the proper measurements for a custom ZIPPED that will fit. The video compares take shoes on and off with and without the ZIPPED and shows how much time using ZIPPED saves. ZIPPED has low goal of $2,500 for their 60 day campaign. More information can be found on the company’s Web site.
The Perks. Early-bird backers can enjoy a pair of ZIPPED in their choice of color and style for only $10. At a regular rate, ZIPPED costs $16. Reward tiers go all the way up to $250. Current availability is set at June 2014.
The Potential. Any product that appeals to the most basic of human instincts, laziness, is always welcome on the market. A similar product called Hickies had huge success on Kickstarter a year and a half ago, raising six times its intended goal. Hickies uses stretchy connectors in lieu of shoelaces, making putting shoes on and off that much easier. Lock Laces are another product aimed at battling the evil shoelace and are less expensive than ZIPPED. It’s easy to see how the ZIPPEDs might not look so pretty with age, but , once you’re done threading it, it presents an intuitive and colorful option for the lace-averse.
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If you’re of the opinion that the dog beds presently on the market are too boring and ugly for your four-legged family member, Ginger Beds founders would agree. Not only does Ginger Beds offer some unique and colorful options than what can be found online, but the material used to make the bed stuffing is made of 2 liter recycled plastic bottles. The company has also partnered with various community organizations that benefit dogs and people. One such organization includes a non-profit that will handle part of the production process and uses the services of those with disabilities so that they can have meaningful employment and an improved quality of life.
But it will cost you. Ginger Beds come in 24, 36 and 48 inches wide and are made entirely in the USA. For a donation of $160, backers can get the 24 inch bed. Other sizes are available for larger donations. While there are dog beds available for considerably less, Ginger Beds seems to be more oriented toward giving back to the community than your average company. Estimated availability for shipping is May 2014.
The Premise. For health nuts and gym rats everywhere, protein shakes are a must. The only problem? Mixing them requires either inconvenient stirring or shaking up, usually resulting in a huge mess.
The Product. PROMiXX is a battery powered mixer that utilizes what the company calls Vortex Mixing Technology to agitate liquids into a vortex. The mixer runs on two AAA batteries in the base, which is detachable from the rest of the bottle to make cleaning a breeze. PROMiXX comes in white, black and hot pink all with a clear body. The blade inside is capable of mixing protein shakes, cocktails, baby formula, beating eggs and more. The PROMiXX 2.0 has supplement storage, brushed aluminum features and runs on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.
The Pitch. The Kickstarter video is as posh and polished as the British men are who created PROMiXX. They definitely believe in the whole ‘sex sells’ tactic of advertising because they show half-naked women exercising a little too often, though none of them once use the PROMiXX. The best part of the video, however, comes at the end with the blooper reel; making the creators seem playful and less serious than the video suggests. More information can be found on their Web site. PROMiXX is looking to raise $30,000 to shake up their 60 day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. The PROMiXX costs backers $30, but for only $35 they can get it a month earlier in April 2014 instead of May. The early-bird and regular priced donation tiers for the PROMiXX 2.0 are $40 and $45 respectively. Reward tiers go up to $100, all offering free shipping to the UK and US.
The Potential. There are plenty of other products out there with PROMiXX’s same goal in mind. The All Ware Typhoon Portable Mixer actually looks and operates exactly like the PROMiXX, except its motor isn’t detachable, making it far less convenient. On Kickstarter, the Umoro mixer bottle received full funding last year and is known for storing supplements on top and then releasing them into the bottle with the push of a button. While not motorized like PROMiXX, the Umoro bottle has the convenience of adding pre-measured supplements to the liquid without even having to open it. For the most part, the PROMiXX appears to be the most versatile bottle of its kind, but could definitely go even further to help beef up its loyal fitness-focused customers.
![Jakket d6666959fac436d9d8013c3505da314a_large[1]](http://www.backerjack.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Jakket-d6666959fac436d9d8013c3505da314a_large1-300x182.jpg)
Long days, extended stays, and the entire family having matching adapter cords makes dealing with gadget cords a hassle. But it’s those very annoyances that ushered in the idea for Jakket. It’s designed for the Apple 5 watt adapter ~ iPhone 5/5s/5c, iPad Air, iPad mini and new generation iPods. Not only does the adapter come in multiple colors that can be assigned to each family member or gadget, but it also comes with an adjustable strap for keeping cords organized and gadgets docked. Competition might be a bit stiff for this campaign given the fact that there are campaigns on Backerjack with similar ideas (Tidy, Kero and Ark). For a pledge of at least $10, backers get one Jakket in their color choice with an expected delivery of June 2014. Jakket is made in the USA and offers free shipping within the US.
The Premise. These days everybody’s making the switch to tablets. The simple touch screen controls and mobile computing make any quarterly presentation, Skype call, or homework assignment a snap if the commercials are to be believed. But what they don’t show is each user endlessly fumbling, adjusting, and hunching over their tablet just to be able to type and see what they’re doing at the same time.
The Product. The Plinth looks to take all the guesswork out of buying a stand for a tablet. This pocket-sized stand (roughly the size of an iPhone) unfolds with a push of a button and is ready for immediate use. With rubber-padded feet, the Plinth seats the iPad, Nexus, Kindle Fire, or Galaxy tablets firmly in place at one of three adjustable viewing angles. The simple design boasts compatibility with any protective case on the market and even small-to-medium sized hard cover books. When the job is done, the Plinth folds up in a matter of seconds and fits right back in the pocket.
The Pitch. UK Inventor John Bull has a lot of tablets, and he shows off just how quickly setting up a Plinth is with any one of them. It’s hard not to be impressed as each tablet he has on his desk fits firmly in any of the Plinth’s 3 viewing angles. £21,000 (~$35,261) is what Bull needs to cover injection moulding, patents, marketing, and design.
The Perks. For £15 (just more than $25 American), backers can put a Plinth in their pocket in May 2014 without worrying about international shipping. Personalization comes at a roughly $15 jump in cost, whether it’s a name, personal message, or late Valentine’s gift.
The Potential. Universal stands on their own already litter the market by the thousands, but the Plinth’s compact size and clever opening mechanism make for a winning combination. Plinth already has interest from a distributor in the UK and companies that sell through Amazon, but any electronics store would be wise to keep plenty in stock, and the price tag is reasonable enough to make it a companion purchase with any tablet on the market.
The Premise. Aahhh, yes, the togetherness and memories of family vacations. And as any experienced road warrior parent knows, the best time to do a road trip with the kids is going to be early evening and into late at night whenever possible. This, of course, significantly reduces the frequency of questions like, “Are we there yet?’ And comments such as, “He’s touching me!” To which she responds, “Well, he keeps flinging his leg (or arm) over to my side!” When they finally fall asleep, it’s generally in the most uncomfortable (but funny) position imaginable.
The Product. So in an effort to make everyone more comfortable, BoosterPalz presents travel pillows for the kids. Your choice of Spotz the Dog, Alli the Cat, or KoKo the Monkey is sure to keep the necks of your little tigers and tigresses from getting cricks in them, while also providing cushioning for their heads when you hit those speed bumps on highway changes. They’ll be kept fast asleep and you will be able to maintain your travel sanity within your vehicle’s walls. The magnetic paws of BoosterPalz allows kids to retain their do-it-myself independence if they choose to attach it to a seat. A convenient front pocket is the perfect storage place for toys, games and snacks, which begs the question: but is it washable? Unfortunately, this excellent question is not clearly answered, but one would hope that the creators of the product considered this since it was their kids who inspired the product.
The Pitch. The video for the $15,000 campaign is rather lengthy in its detail about the pillows, and appears to be something of a family affair, complete with pictures of the kids and a little voiceover input from them here and there. Nevertheless, it clearly explains the product. It’s actually quite amazing how much they were able to find to say about travel pillows for kids. The travel buddies also come in multiple colors, depending on which snuggle critter your child chooses.
The Perks. There are 17 tiers from which backers may choose. The $40 early bird special offers backers their choice of BoosterPal, a water bottle, and includes shipping anywhere in the US. Higher tiers offer more travel critters. Estimated delivery is May 2014.
The Potential. BoosterPalz will most likely be the most beneficial for kids who have outgrown their first car seat and may even appeal to tweens and younger teenagers, depending on their maturity level. There are multiple types of travel pillows for kids available for purchase, though the design and storage pocket set the BoosterPalz apart.
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It’s funny how taking something old, tweaking it, repackaging it, and remarketing it makes it new. Even in an age of videogames and handheld gadgets, those little jars filled with soap that have those dinky wands for making midget-sized bubbles fascinate. How big can you make it before you break it? For those looking to step up their bubble’s bigness, Wonki Wands boasts of being able to make bubbles up to 40 feet in length. And the wands come in purple, pink, green, sparkle, blue, and copper-black for added affect. For a pledge of at least $24, backers get their choice of wand color and 16 ounces of bubble stuff. The expected delivery date is April 2012, and shipping is free within the US.
The Premise. From the first moment of finding a song that they can identify with, everybody wants to be a rock star. Whether it’s a beat-up pawn shop acoustic or a glittery studio electric, nobody forgets their first guitar. But aside from the thousands of hours of practice, one has to learn how to maintain their guitar and also get the necessary equipment to perform with it.
The Product. The Acoustic Stream is a 4-in-1 solution to the basic needs of a guitar that syncs up effortlessly to a phone or wireless device to serve as a recorder, amplifier bridge, and instrument tuner. Additionally, it will send daily updates to the user’s phone about humidity levels, helping ensure proper maintenance and infrequent need for repairs. The device connects to the guitar’s output jack or can be placed inside or near the guitar or other instrument, and by simply tapping on the instrument its features can be activated. At this time, only iOS support is available.
The Pitch. A broken guitar was all it took to inspire Bob Bean to start dreaming up the eventual Acoustic Stream. With endorsements by up-and-coming musical acts, the promotional videos highlight the ease of use and effortless control that the device can provide musicians. With a $50,000 goal, of which over three quarters is going toward components and tooling, Bean and his team hope to make this tiny tool a staple for performers.
The Perks. Early supporters of the campaign can get an Acoustic Stream for $97, less than half the retail price, and with the inclusion of 5 guitar picks and a download for the music used in the promotional video. A second Acoustic Stream is available at the $294 tier, and at the high-end $3000 tier backers can join the beta-testing/development team and help shape the final product. All products are expected to ship in August 2014.
The Potential. If the Acoustic Stream did just one of the things that it’s capable of, whether tuning or connecting to an amp, it would be a worthwhile purchase for any musician that’s more likely to be without their wallet than their guitar. Tapping the guitar as a method of control seems a little suspect as some performers tap their guitar as part of their compositions, not to mention the potential for errant inputs. The Acoustic Stream could become as necessary a purchase as a quality amp, and the young musicians of the world will want to get their hands on it as soon as possible.