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Do you still care about 3D? Well, maybe your kid does. With the old ViewMaster toy in the back of his mind as his inspiration, the creator of Ullu has added a new dimension to your iPhone 5 photos and videos. The plastic viewer that clips onto the phone comes in multiple colors and allows you to view your photos and videos in 3D. The open sides also allow for easy browsing of pictures. Once you (or your kids) are done enjoying those special moments, the clever if chunky accessory folds down and becomes a protective case for your phone, differentiating it from similar products. For $89, a backer gets a complete product with an expected delivery of December 2014.
Month: March 2014
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The four hundred billion dollar question posed in connection to this particular campaign via its video: Do you use your phone in the bathroom? Given the fact that 1.4 billion phones have been dropped in the toilet, there are apparently many who do. And the above noted amount is a rough total in losses. The Phone Sitter is a plastic phone mount that is specially designed to dock your phone on your bathroom wall while you dock yourself nearby for a more pressing matter. While it won’t actually do anything to prevent your phone’s demise should it go for a swim in the porcelain pool, the idea is that having a dedicated place to put one’s phone should help avoid positioning that leads to such unfortunate circumstances. The creator’s goal is to get this handy-dandy gadget mounted in every bathroom in America – even in your place of employment. (So much for hiding in the bathroom to escape the boss for a while.) For $30, a backer gets The Phone Sitter in their color choice with an expected delivery of June 2014. Or you could just leave it on the sink
The Premise. Your preparing for your big concert and will be looking off of several pieces of sheet music. You’ve been around the block enough to know that if you don’t organize it into a binder with sheet protectors that you will be driven crazy because it will either blow off the stand or fall off when you go to turn the page. But sometimes getting three or four sheets of music to stand side by side on a piano can be a balancing act exercise worthy of a circus.
The Product. 8Scape takes the concept of a binder and sheet protectors and extends it into a bit of a different direction. The clear plastic covers and folder provide musicians with the potential to secure eight pieces of sheet music on a music stand and a total of two page turns; the added thickness stabilizes the sheets. The finished product will allow for music to be loaded in from the side, as opposed to top-down.
The Pitch. The video for the modest $5,000 campaign is a bit dry and looks something like a sales pitch. While there is something intended to be sold here, it would be nice to see it presented in a warmer, more personable and creative way – as opposed to something like you might see in a B movie or infomercial.
The Perks. There are six tiers from which backers may choose. For $30, backers get one 8scape and an expected delivery of July 2014.
The Potential. The best niche for this may actually be classical musicians, especially if there is someone available to turn pages for them. However, the way that this product was presented made page turns look cumbersome and there seemed to be a risk of the entire product falling off of the stand or piano because the design may not be sturdy enough. The concept is a great one, but it could use some polish. For now, a binder with sheet protectors (items available in any office supply store) seem like they would do better. Despite there being more page turns, such a tried-and-true system provides more stability and organization.
As for other alternatives, the campaign owners argue that just putting your music on an iPad isn’t a good option because your battery might die. That’s true, but you could also forget to bring paper along or it could get torn or lost. The 8Scape may be help prepare your music for being played, but there’s no substitute for a musician’s being prepared.
The only drawback to a gorgeous sunny day is when you want to take pictures or shoot a video. The glare on the lens makes for muted colors and saturation. In response to the repressed photographer that likes to capture those picturesque moments with their mobile device’s camera, Shadei Sun Hood improves your outdoor shoot with portable shade that fits in your wallet or pocket and is compatible with most devices donning a camera. However, it is not hands-free in that it needs to be held in place by one finger on the finger adjust. Some assembly is required before you use it for the first time, and after that it folds down for easy toting. For $10 AUD a backer gets a complete product with an expected delivery of April 2014.
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There are those who like burgers because they are a quick and easy meal, and then there are those who are burger connoisseurs. The difference? Quick and easy mealers are not bothered by the puddle of grease that gathers beneath their burger. In fact, they will even sop it up with the bun. On the other hand, a burger connoisseur would declare such an encounter a meal-ruining travesty and demand a new burger. Like a bridge over dribbled slaughter, the stainless steel Burger Lift provides the perfect rescue for your sop-sensitive palate . For $15, a backer gets a pair of the sandwich accessories. Expected delivery is August 2014.
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Dooh! Those pesky earphone and headphone wires! They can get as tangled as wild vines in a forest and really complicate things when you just want to hear some good music during your workout routine or other activities. Whether your exercise of choice is hiking, jogging, cycling, or some other activity, earMc not only keeps those wires under control, but lets you look stylish, too. The small accessory item holds wires in place through magnetic force and comes in several color options. For $7, backers can choose from five colors, or $9 offers a jeweled heart or diamond style. Expected delivery is April 2014. If this seems interesting, you might also want to check out Nearbuds and Nearbuddy.
The Premise. Few things are as necessary and as easy to permanently lose as keys. Not knowing where they were placed the night before is one thing, but what is someone supposed to do when those same keys could be anywhere in the city they live in?
The Product. Stiktag is a simple keyring that includes a unique URL, NFC, and QR identification that can point users to a means to contact the owner of said keys, get in touch with them, and arrange a hand-off. The keyring is durable and works after falling, being mildly damaged, and even after being submersed in water. By adding personal information to the site that finders are pointed to, owners can include photos to help them know whether or not they’re dealing with the right person and even include a monetary reward for returning the lost keys.
The Pitch. In an easy-to-understand video, Stiktag explains what the device is, how it works, and how the average user can use it to eliminate this universal problem. The company leads off with the telling data that at least 2 million people report lost keys to the police every year but fewer than 10% make their way back to the appropriate owner. Right away, it’s clear to see how Stiktag can solve this problem and the stress tests show that users don’t need to worry about the device breaking. Stiktag needs $24,000 AUD to start manufacturing and place the first batch of orders, and at the $74,000 stretch goal, they will be able to ship faster and include more features for the site more quickly.
The Perks. Two Stiktags are available for the low price of $10 AUD, with an extra $5 for shipping outside Australia. Variants for backers are available at higher tiers, and at the $460 AUD level, a 10-pack is available that can be corporately branded for company property or brand advertising. Most rewards are expected to ship by May 2014.
The Potential. The Stiktag will certainly add a level of contact to finding lost keys that could help to recover them, but only through the assistance of others and only as long as the company remains viable. This is a pretty ingenious, low-tech solution to losing keys that might be improved with more tech and higher cost. Also, there is a significant worry that handling these transactions carelessly could help criminals find what keys they find belong to and help them commit crimes more easily, but it remains to be seen whether human decency and helpfulness is enough to change the stress of losing keys.
The Premise. Twist ties that come with bread, chips or other bag-packaged foods tend to get lost in the shuffle. These tiny but essential bag securers are necessary to keep the foods we love fresh. Their size and disposability, however, means that they go missing a lot.
The Product. The Twist-Tie Pod gets its inspiration from tape dispensers. The small white device holds a 65’ foot roll of twist ties and cuts and dispenses them accordingly. Magnets on the back as well as screw holes make it possible to secure the Pod to refrigerators or to the inside of cabinets.
The Pitch. Twist-Tie Pod’s adorable Hawaiian creator and ukuleleist Milton Wheeler chooses a dorky but charming video to feature on his Kickstarter campaign. This video is a must-see and does one of the best jobs of selling a crowdfunded product in recent memory. The dramatization of frustration from a missing twist tie, the twist tie jingle played on a ukulele, and the hilarious faces of Wheeler all deserve an Oscar, or at least props for such great entertainment value. The rest of the campaign shows the standard progression of prototypes, the back story for the product’s idea, as well as insight into the cutting device that chops the ties (spoiler alert: Wheeler uses modified toenail clippers). Wheeler hopes to raise $10,000 in his 36-day campaign.
The Perks. Lower reward tiers offer only spools of twist ties while higher tiers offer spools and the Twist-Tie Pod. For $18, early backers get the ties as well as the dispenser which go for $20 at a regular price. Tiers go up to $250 which offers a pod decorated by a Hawaiin artist. The standard Twist-Tie Pod has an estimated delivery date of May 2014.
The Potential. The Twist-Tie Pod is one of those little kitchen accessories that has the potential to make life a whole lot easier. The only bad news is that twist tie dispensers already exist, but are mostly marketed to be used in the garden and not the kitchen. For example, Bond’s Twist Tie Dispenser uses 66’ of twist tie with a blade to deliver the same results as the pod outside and only costs $3. The Twist-Tie Pod’s design with the kitchen in mind is great, however the price will need to come down in order to get backers to hop on board.
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Not only are they functional, but they let you express yourself. Snap Shades let you change your frame to match your mood, the occasion, or just because you can. The magnetic hinge system easily connects to the frame to make changing colors quick and easy. Colors come in matte, metallic, clear colors, glow in the dark and more. For $25, a backer gets one rim and four side colors of their choice. Expected delivery is June 2014. And if you like this idea, you might also want to check out the Mod-to-Order watches campaign.
The Premise. In the 21st century, a lot of innovation and engineering has gone into making artificial light less energy-intensive, longer-lasting, and more natural to the health of the eye. But why do our lightbulbs only serve to illuminate the dark when they could be doing much more?
The Product. The AirBulb is a smart, Bluetooth LED lightbulb that syncs up to iOS and Android devices that has an internal speaker for enjoying music without any complicated wiring. AirBulb can be used in any standard lamp socket and can be controlled traditionally or through the AirBulb app. With the app, light warmth can be changed, and the bulb can be set to flash in conjunction with an alarm clock or as a notification of an incoming call.
The Pitch. Aptly named for a project such as this, Hong Kong’s Avantconcept shows off its vision that every home not only needs light, but also a means to enjoy music. The video goes over all the current features of the device, and the campaign pictures highlight the technical specifications of the product and break down the reward tiers simply. Avantconcept needs $100,000 to finish mass manufacturing and the AirBulb, and has also set a stretch goal at $150,000 at which point more features will be added including multiple brightness levels and notifications for social media, text messages, email, and low battery.
The Perks. A pledge of $59 gets backers one AirBulb to use in their home. Higher tiers can be used to order several at once, and all AirBulbs are expected to be delivered at the end of 2014.
The Potential. Overall, this feels like a neat tech idea but also like an abuse of technological power. While some might be attracted to AirBulb, others will struggle to find a reason why lightbulbs and speakers should be one in the same. Paying nearly $60 for a lightbulb will give some hesitation, while others will wonder just how much the acoustics of a lampshade will affect the enjoyment of their music. Chalk this up as a novelty for now, and don’t expect people to set up their homes to resemble The Exorcist when a call comes in, but maybe in just a few short years products like these will become the standard.