Author: Elizabeth Delaney

Categories
Music

Guitar Throne provides blended home for instrument and musician

The amount of gear that has to be packed up for a live gig can be daunting. So when a quality product comes along that allows for two or more items to be rolled into one, the average musician will sit up and take some notice. Guitar Throne blends a guitar holder and stool into one. Flip it up for the stand, and down to take a seat. There are also plenty of options: plain Baltic Burch so artists with painting and/or drawing skills can create their own graphic and perhaps use it to advertise their band at live gigs, stained model (backer chooses their preferred stain color), hardwood model (cherry, mahogany or walnut), or custom shop model for which preferred graphic and wood is chosen by the musician.

The measurements for the stool are not noted, but it is featured as a one-size-fits-most type of situation which has been field-tested. Interested backers may also want to check out the Bnd stand, Klin, and SoulPedal campaigns. This campaign seeks to raise $25,000 by December 19, 2014. For $150, backers get one Guitar Throne with the natural finish. Estimated delivery is currently set for December 2014.

Categories
Nutrition/Hydration

Square bottle tries cornering market on versatile water bottles

Drinking the right amount of water every day is the first defense against illness. But many people don’t like the chemical flavor often associated with tap water. The Square water bottle offers a built-in filter so that drinking water wherever one happens to be is more palatable, though it’s not clearly indicated how frequently the filter should be replaced.  The bottle that unscrews on both ends for easy cleaning is square so that it won’t roll away. In addition, it’s made of BPA-free plastic so that water always tastes fresh.

A supplementary infusion chamber can be filled with fresh fruits for natural fruit flavored water, or can be inserted with bloom infusion pods filled with dried fruits for extra deliciousness. Add water and have natural fruit flavored water without the preparation. Each pod last for several refills though a specific number isn’t stated. This campaign seeks to raise $30,000 by December 12, 2014. For $15, backers get one Square water bottle with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Luggage and Bags

RiutBag ditches outside zipper for traveling peace of mind

Urban dwellers and travelers often find a backpack (or rucksack as they say in the UK) to be the most effective way to tote their essentials. Unfortunately, anyone who happens to be standing behind the wearer often has easy access to those personal items. RiutBag offers an alternative that was clearly designed by a small team that knows a little something about what makes a great travel bag. The zippers are designed in such a way that they are not easily accessible to the general public who happens to be along for the ride on the subway, bus, train or plane. Multiple storage pockets range in size from large enough for a laptop, to a place for one’s keys. There’s even a hidden pocket for paper tickets when digital or e-tickets aren’t an option. This campaign seeks to raise £29,700 (~$47,000 USD) by November 26, 2014. For £55 (~$88 USD), backers get can nab one with an expected delivery of April 2015.

Categories
Connected Objects Sensors/IoT

Sammy Screamer shrieks when stuff gets disturbed

The Premise. Parenting can be a hard-core mission that can test your sense of sanity. But even for those who say that they enjoy a good challenge, there are days when it’s necessary to use tools that allow you to cheat.

The Product. Sammy Screamer is one device in a family that totals eight members that go by the name BleepBleeps. They were designed with the intent of “making parenting easier.” The devices each have different tasks ranging from monitoring the baby to keeping little Johnny out of the cookie jar to tracking your teens. And if all of that isn’t enough and you feel the need for more excitement in your life, there are even a couple of devices that can assist with knowing when it’s the most opportune time for “Mom and Dad” to enjoy rediscovering one another and engage in some family planning activities. But getting back to Sammy Screamer, it is essentially a cute, red triangular motion sensor that can emit what seems like a not-very-loud sound when it is activated as well as sending a signal to a smartphone app. The app also allows you to control the device’s sensitivity and volume but, alas, not those of a child.

The palm-sized motion detector has a magnetized back so that it can attach to, say, a refrigerator door, thereby possibly causing the offending door-opener to utter words that ought to be BleepBpeeped. The triangular tweeter also has a loop fixing so that it can be attached to a book bag, or on those days when a good, hardy laugh is needed, the dog’s or cat’s tail. Sammy works with Bluetooth LE up to 50 meters, which means you’ll have to be in the general vicinity to hear its plaintive cry.

The Pitch. The minimalist video for the $20,000 campaign opens with music that sounds like some trippy 1960s throwback keyboard player. Sammy is given a gender and becomes “cute” in the eyes of “her” creator throughout the video. Along with demonstrating some potential applications that includes cookie jar and refrigerator patrol, the rest of the product family makes a cameo

The Perks. There are a whopping ten tiers from which backers may choose. The $60 early bird special offers a complete Sammy Screamer product with free worldwide shipping. The $150 early bird special includes three Sammy Screamers, one app and free worldwide shipping. The estimated delivery is Aug 2014 for most levels.

The Potential. Sammy Screamer could be useful to young parents, teens, and those who enjoy practical jokes. (Imagine secretly attaching a Sammy Screamer to your friend’s jacket or purse when he or she isn’t paying attention.) It’s not presently able to be used with Android, but that’s only temporary. While there are other mini motion detectors out there, they while they are intended for fixed home security applications, Screaming Sammy is always happy to go along for the ride.