Sitting on the ground waiting in an insanely long line for the concert of your favorite rock star can be plenty uncomfortable. But it was this situation that inspired the creator of Sitpack. From a more practical standpoint, waiting in a crowded airport, subway station or train station can be just as daunting, and who knows what awaits unsuspecting travelers should they actually brave the floor. Sitpack is a portable chair made of stainless steel. It folds up small enough to be carried in the back pocket of one’s jeans, a backpack, or purse. While it doesn’t look particularly comfortable and it’s not entirely clear if there is a weight limit in connection to its effectiveness, it does seem like it would be very convenient for commuters and travelers, much like the Purrch. Backers who prefer more back support in a portable chair might want to check out Chair-Pak and NeXstep. This campaign seeks to raise kr450,000 (~$75,000 USD) by November 29, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for kr175 (~$29 USD) with an expected delivery of April 2015.
Month: November 2014
One of the greatest challenges when camping is all of the planning, packing and organizing that has to be done, especially for families with several small children. CampCaddy was designed with the busy family in mind. It’s a table, small pantry, camping storage container, and all around organizer blended into one unit. While it won’t do the cooking, it will store everything you need in a simple package. The handle and wheels make for easy toting to the campsite, while towel racks help to keep messes under control. CampCaddy can be easily modified to fit both a day at the county park or a longer camping excursion. The lightweight unit is made from injection molded plastic, has aluminum features, an aluminum top for easy cleaning, and fits easily into the trunk of a standard sized car. This campaign seeks to raise $200,000 CAD (~ $175,500 USD) by December 1, 2014. Early bird backers get one product for $200 CAD (~$175 USD) with an expected delivery of May 2015.
Perhaps there is little that is more disappointing for a budding musician with a CD than to realize the importance of having a way to sell that CD before going to all the expense of recording. That being said, Guit Stix was created by a musician who apparently has lots of CDs to give away if backers will donate to his campaign. And just what is this product? It functions as a stand, pick holder, and tuning holder. The product appears to be wooden and rather bulky for attaching to a guitar. It doesn’t appear to be particularly sturdy. But hey, this guy should probably be given some credit for attempting to come up with a creative way of getting his CDs marketed and promoted and making some extra money off of a unique product idea. As for the pros who are interested in some useful performance gear, consider checking out the A Little Thunder campaign to add some live bass boost to that upcoming concert. This campaign seeks to raise $5000 by November 27, 2014. For $100, backers get one product to compliment that CD, and an expected delivery of January 2015.
One of the biggest critiques of video games is that they doesn’t promote enough physical and social activity, leading many to shun the medium entirely without considering their many positive benefits. The inventors behind Hybrid Play have a love for both video games and outdoor physical activity, leading them to create a product that bridges both worlds.
Hybrid Play comes in the form of a Bluetooth-equipped sensor that clamps onto any sort of rotational or static playground element, like swings or slides. Once attached, with the help on the onboard accelerometer, that element can be used as input for a game on a smartphone connected nearby. This leads to a group of children shouting instructions to another group of children on a slide or wherever else to successfully control the game, encouraging activity, verbal communication, and teamwork. And if the two exclusive games for Hybrid Play get stale, the iOS/Android companion app allows users access to the rest of the both exclusive and classic games like Pac-Man for the platform, along with the ability to create your very own. Hopefully, all this together will actually keep a child’s notoriously fickle attention span occupied over the long run.
Hybrid Play is not only about bridging this divide, but also teaching as well. Gamesonomy support means that users without any programming knowledge will be able to create their own games for use with Hybrid Play, and one of the campaign’s stretch goals includes Scratch Jr. integration, an introductory language that teaches five to seven year olds how to code. The campaign is looking to raise $140,0000 by November 28th, 2014. A Hybrid Play kit is going for $124 with an April 2015 delivery window.
Trying to enjoy a meal in a non-fast food restaurant with one or more small children is generally something of a hairy situation. Little ones usually don’t have the patience to wait for food to arrive at the table. That’s why BizeeBaby was invented. This gadget keeps little fingers, eyes, ears and, of course ,the mouth busy and stimulated so that mom and dad and maybe even a couple of friends can have an actual conversation that lasts longer than six seconds. While this won’t eliminate the need for a diaper bag, it might be ideal for slipping inside of one, especially since it folds up. And when toys don’t seem to keep baby busy enough, there is an iPad holder so that baby can watch something onscreen.
While the BizeeBaby seems like a quick way to keep your kid distracted, ultimately it doesn’t seem to solve a larger problem of public misbehavior. Pushing the child aside and keeping their attention glued to a screen may not be the best way to parent your kid. This campaign seeks to raise $55,000 by November 28, 2014. For $100, backers get one product and an expected deliverance from mealtime insanity sometime during May 2015.
Tampons, maxi pads and the like can be a huge pain. Not to mention the fact that their disposable nature makes them costly and bad for the environment. Lily Cup is a recyclable cup to use during your period. It’s flexible and comes in two different sizes. The pink cup folds into a discreet case so it can be carried around anywhere. According to the campaign, the cup works for up to 10 hours, much longer than any tampon. For $33, lady backers will receive one Lily Cup in their choice of size and color (dark pink or light pink) for estimated delivery in December 2014. Lily Cup is looking to raise $7,800 on Kickstarter.
For women who are used to the whole tampon/pad routine, switching to the Lily Cup may be a bit of a shock. Still, most agree that tampons aren’t exactly the best for women’s health. The Diva Cup is known as the original menstrual cup, but the Lily Cup takes ease of use a step further by adding portability. All in all, it may be worth it to make the adjustment in order to save money and waste.
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Strollbright pimps your baby’s ride
Walking the baby at night in a stroller can be just the thing when baby doesn’t seem to want to cooperate and go to sleep. There’s just something about cool night air that soothes and calms. But walking at night can also be a safety concern: that’s why Strollbright was created. The battery-powered lights use white LEDs that work for 72 hours, offer 360 degree visibility, are waterproof and tangle-resistant. It is compatible with most strollers on the market. At the press of a button, users have the option of steady or flashing lights and the battery has a self-charging system. For those who want to do double duty and walk the dog while walking the baby, consider The Watchdog campaign for pet safety, too. The Strollbright campaign seeks to raise $5,000 CAD (~$4,400 USD) by November 27, 2014. For $25 CAD (~$22 USD), early bird backers get two strips of led lights with an expected delivery of December 2014.
Like most products made by huge companies, toothbrushes aren’t designed with sustainability in mind. Usually made from non-biodegradable plastic and having to be replaced at least three to four times a year makes the item a prime polluter. On average, all this adds up to 12 pounds of waste per person or 80 billion pounds worldwide, annually. In an era of increased ecological awareness, this simply won’t do.
Goodwell is looking to do its part in reducing this unnecessary pollution by offering a sleek, modern toothbrush that functionally provides everything necessary to do so. The hybrid toothbrush, tongue scraper, and flosser is made from medical grade aluminum for strength, sport charcoal bristles and binchotan to more effectively fight plaque and clean teeth, and all of its attachments are made from bamboo composite which are fully compostable. Those attachments are open source as well: by releasing their CADs for their attachments, Goodwell is letting users create any kind of attachment they want, like chopsticks or forks and knives. There’s even a small compartment at the bottom of the brush to hold items like aspirin or spare bills.
The brush is a two-part proposition in that you can buy the kit itself with the option of subscribing to their delivery service. This entitles users to receive a new brush head every month along with a product from a collaborator like Maak soap or Marvin toothpaste for an additional $79 a year. Although it may seem like a hefty initial cost, new brush heads every month for that price comes out cheaper than buying a new toothbrush every month and the brush heads are at least biodegradable. If you want to spring for just the toothbrush, though, that will only run $69. Goodwell is looking for an $12,500 infusion to begin manufacturing by the 26th.
There are some who say that the energy children have should have been reserved for older tired people. But since things didn’t work out that way, Fidget helps kids to find a way to manage all that energy when they are in an environment where they must sit. The chair is suitable for ages 3-6, though there are plans to make one for ages 5-9. Basically, it moves with the child as they squirm around, helping to facilitate their focus for activities that require mental energy rather than physical energy. They are also modular, and when flipped around, can be used as chair and desk combo. Some backers may have an issue with the fact that the chairs are made of high density polyethylene (petroleum based) but this makes them easy to clean. Seems like such a chair may actually have an appeal to some adults, especially those locked into doing desk work all day long. In the meantime, this campaign seeks to raise $50,000 by November 30. 2014. For $70, early bird backers get one product with an expected delivery of February 2015.
Smartphones and tablets have become essential to our lives. Whether we use them for work, fun or even monitoring our health. Due to their flat nature, however, none really stand up by themselves. Most mounts or stands cater to flat surfaces, but few tackle round surfaces. The aptly-named Clamp Champion aims to fit onto those unfittable places including the back of your couch, train seats, plane seats, refrigerators and much more. It fits tablets between two and 12 inches and swivels to get that perfect angle. Using rubber, it grips onto your expensive device for maximum security. One Clamp Champion will cost backers $25 with estimated delivery set for November 2014. This product is looking to raise $2,000 with the help of Kickstarter.
As our lives become more entangled with our devices, new solutions need to be found for ease of use. Clamp Champion is one of those solutions. It’s incredibly versatile not only in the devices it works with, but also in the places it can be used. The price isn’t too bad either!