![OLLA 20140305091927-bed3[1]](http://rossrubin.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/OLLA-20140305091927-bed31-300x168.jpg)
So if mom and dad have gotten weary of stuff that gets aimed at kids but that parents have to put together, OLLA just might make you smile. The modular system of hole bars and connectors lets kids build items such as a chair, desk, bench, even a bed. The light weight pieces are noted as being appropriate for kids between the ages of 4-14. For $228, a backer gets enough pieces to build a chair, and the building guide. Expected delivery is September 2014.
Month: March 2014
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For those of you who have decided that a Swiss Army Knife is too bulky to carry around, Quickey Multi-Tool may be the multi-tool for which you have been longing. It’s about the size of a standard key and you can even attach it to your key ring. Quickey boasts of having five functions: a file, flathead screwdriver, scorer, bottle opener. and serrated edge that functions like a pocket knife. While not the first key-like multitool, the Quickey could certainly come in handy to backers, who can pick one up for $9 with an estimated delivery of April 2014.
Oh the struggles of being a girl who wants to be involved in sports. Wearing jewelry can cause injury to both the girl wearing it and those around her if the sport involves any close contact. Since waiting until after softball season doesn’t always get taken into consideration when a girl wants to get her ears pierced, Ear Protection Guards provide that necessary protection. Although not explicitly guaranteed, the assumption is that the barrier will enable piercing through the no-jewelry rule that inspired them. If tape or a band-aid are unacceptable, it might be a good plan to check and be sure about ear guards. Nevertheless, for $20, backers get the product, but it’s not clearly indicated if that means one pair. Expected delivery is July 2014.
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Screener Thing won’t let your garden down
For green thumbers who have a rocky time working in their gardens, Screener Thing offers a solution. This nifty, sifty garden tool is basically a screen framed by wood planks that sits on top of wheelbarrows or buckets. When pouring dirt into the receptacle, the screen catches all of the unwanted rocky or chunky material that lives in the dirt. For $45, backers can rock out with the Screener Thing. The money, rather than the play, is the Thing as it needs to raise $45,000 on Kickstarter in its 45-day campaign.
Computers are great, obviously, but hunching over them all day isn’t. Good posture is hard to achieve when YouTubing it all day. PostureME offers the “most comfortable back support in the world” according to its Kickstarter campaign. This long skinny accessory for your chair offers lower and upper back support and uses ergonomics to achieve its goal without using any high-techery a la the Lumo Lift. While not as stylish as the campaign leads backers to believe, this is still looks like a helpful and reasonably compact comfort aid for the car or office. PostureME has a goal of $10,000 in a 45 day campaign. Early backers can straighten their backs with PostureME for $30. But as cappuccino teaches us, sometimes it’s all about the foam.
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Perhaps the hardest part of goin’ fishin’ is getting ready to go fishin.’ But at least you can get the drudgery out of the way in the beginning. SimpliFLY aims to make the hardest part less time consuming and put all the most important items right at your fingertips. The octagonal box comes with three zingers, so that when you get the big one you can quickly de-hook, nip, and straighten the line. There are also plenty of spots to organize and store other important items. Though SimpliFLY will retail for $70, a backer can get one for $38 through the early-bird special, which in this case may net a fish instead of a worm. Expected delivery is October 2014
Desks these days get cluttered with all of the devices we carry around. SlatePro offers a desk geared towards people who own a laptop, smart phone, tablet and any other new-fangled gadget. The sophisticated workspace has air vents to cool down your laptop, docks for phones and tablets, a built-in mousepad, holes for wires, a place for pens and files and even a cup holder. One SlatePro costs backers $368 and is slated to be delivered by May 2014. SlatePro hopes to raise $12,000 in its 20-day Kickstarter campaign.
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The maker of BaKon BaKer devotes most of his narrative to a sad tale of unfortunate circumstances. Either he cooks the bacon and cleans up the mess, or his wife will go shopping, spend all his money, and force them to move in with the in-laws because they can no longer make the house payment. This threat is apparently what inspired the BaKon BaKer, which allows the user to cook bacon in the oven, hence: less mess, easier clean-up, and a peaceful marriage, something both partners can appreciate regardless of who brings home the bacon. For $22, bakers get one BaKon BaKer with an estimated delivery of June 2014.
The Premise. Trying to make it in the music business is hard, that’s no secret. Besides all the shows, all the writing and the practice, there’s a physical aspect to it as well. Putting on a good show usually requires managing a lot of equipment and making audio adjustments. Without a roadie or a sound guy, that just becomes even more work to add into the mix.
The Product. The Amperage Pedal is designed to take the ease of bringing a laptop or tablet on stage with an act and give it the kind of functionality that a quality amp would. With chicken-head knobs that are easy to turn and full programmability through the StageManager program packaged with it, musicians can change the volume, tone, treble, bass, mid, reverb, or anything that can be assigned through a MIDI controller. This package of hardware and software is designed to ultimately do one thing: rock crowds.
The Pitch. The North Shore Guitar team shows off what the Amperage Pedal can do with a quick studio jam session. The demonstration is a little long for what it offers, but true guitar aficionados will see the impact, and after all that’s who this product is made for. The other campaign materials show off the Amperage Pedal’s internals, and there is also a video demonstration of the StageManager software necessary to bring the most out of the pedal. The project is looking for the oddly precise sum of $9,781 to order all the necessary parts to manufacture the pedals.
The Perks. The Amperage Pedal takes the stage in May 2014. Early backers can get the pedal and the corresponding StageManager software for $178. Musicians that want to add a little flair can have custom artwork put on their pedal at the $370 tier.
The Potential. The Amperage Pedal isn’t exactly high-tech, it’s not stylish or flashy, and it probably won’t revolutionize the small concert. But it does look extremely well-built, perfectly functional, and will probably be a giant leap forward for those that take the time to get used to how the device works and how it can improve a live performance. It’s a curious mix of effect pedal and mixing board that could become a staple for upcoming bands everywhere.
The Premise. Working out with music is essential for most fitness buffs. A great song can kick up your energy like nothing else. Unfortunately, armbands that hold music players can interrupt instead of enhance your workout. Wires constantly get caught, yanking earbuds out of your head.
The Product. SpyderGrip is a a sensible alternative to the armband holder, holding music players on the upper back instead of on the biceps. It looks like a small backpack and sits on the upper back while looping around the shoulders. The SpyderGrip is compatible with all Apple and Android music players. The holder is completely sweat- and water-poof. Currently, color choices include black and gray or black and pink.
The Pitch. SpyderGrip’s Indiegogo campaign shows how many prototypes the product went through until it was ready for the market. The video shows a buff gym rat having trouble with his armband while working out and then how much easier using the SpyderGrip is. The creators of this fitness accessory hope to raise $10,000 in their campaign. As addicted to crowdfunding as some of their customers might be to the gym, the creators of SpyderGrip have run two previous campaigns on Kickstarter. The first was unsuccessful in June 2013, but the second reached its goal in December 2013.
The Perks. Two early-bird specials make SpyderGrip available to backers at the discounted prices of $29 and $32 with a choice of either gray or pink. At a regular price, the grip goes for $39. Reward tiers go up to $99 with an estimated delivery date of April 2014. The campaign details several stretch goals which include $17,000 to include an inner pouch and $15,000 to make pink more readily available. The video talks about adding a Bluetooth remote to make volume adjustments and song changes possible, but no stretch goals have yet been set for that addition.
The Potential. Anything that makes a workout look more suave is always welcome. It’s such a pain to be fiddling with earbuds when you’re trying to get your sweat on. Currently, there are few armband alternatives out there, giving SpyderGrip an edge on the market. The added Bluetooth remote will be especially intriguing since the only drawback of SpyderGrip is that changing music is difficult when your iPod is behind you.