Author: Julia Herrick

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

SlimJig is a two-piece phone stand that slips into your wallet

Handheld devices have become so numerous in our lives that it’s hard to hold them in our hands anymore. Tablets and smartphones help us work and communicate with our friends, but can clutter our desks, making it hard to work with them. SlimJig is a versatile stand that holds up your devices. It folds and unfolds, using simple design for maximum utility. Able to hold up different kinds of smartphones and tablets, SlimJig can be used anywhere easily. Made out of light aluminum, this stand comes in many different colors and is the exact same size as a credit card, so it fits in your wallet easily, an added bonus.

While there are many different kinds of stands out there, SlimJig seems to be a sturdier version of typical stands. One will cost backers $15 or $10 for early birds for expected delivery in December 2014. SlimJig hopes to raise $1,500 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Pets

Back to the Backers: Avo self-cleaning tropical fish tank

After reaching half of their goal in September of this year, the British-made Avo canceled its funding on Kickstarter. But why?! Now they’re back on Kickstarter (and Backerjack) with a smaller goal, but still tons of supporters.

Avo is a self-cleaning fish tank. The fish’s waste along with uneaten food feed the plants, keeping the tank and water fresh. In addition, Avo comes equipped with an LED programmed light that not only gives the plants enough light, but also keeps the water warm enough for tropical fish. A donation of £200 (~$320) will get backers the Avo kit which includes the tank, food, lights and plant pods for estimated delivery in July 2015. This time around, Avo is looking for £60,000 (~$96,000), cutting down on their original goal due to the discovery of better-value tools.

Not much has changed about Avo since the original campaign. The idea of a self-cleaning tank is certainly tantalizing to most fish-enthusiasts. Imagine a self-cleaning cat! Wait, well, still Avo is a very cool way to provide a stylish, easy home for beta fish.

Categories
Food and Beverage

PopcornBall s a sphere of cheer to season salty snacks

Popcorn comes in many different flavors. With the help of seasonings, spicing up popcorn is simple. Mixing the seasonings in, however, can be a bit more difficult. As a lightweight food, popcorn doesn’t ever want to stay in the bowl when being tossed. The PopcornBall is designed specifically for mixing popcorn and other foods as well. Simply put the popcorn and seasoning in the ball, close the lid and spin it around. The popcorn can be eaten directly out of the ball. One will cost backers $15 which includes seasonings for estimated delivery in May 2015. PopcornBall hopes to raise $50,000 on Kickstarter.

PopcornBall is one of those products that may make food preparation easier, but clutters up the kitchen. While it may make popcorn up-spicing easier, the space it takes up may not be worth it. However, PopcornBall would make a great gift for anyone who consumes large amounts of popcorn.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories

Moobitalk takes a low-tech approach to allow hands-free car conversations

Cell phone usage while driving is not only dangerous, but illegal in most states. Many people, however, must suffer a long commute to work and simply can’t remain silent during the whole ride, whether they’re talking to work or their families. Moobitalk seeks to give commuters a way to take on the phone hands-free. It attaches to the seatbelt once it is already fastened. Then, when a call comes in, simply hit speaker phone and attach the phone’s screen to Moobitalk. It uses micro-suction technology to keep the phone in place without damaging the screen. Backers can nab the Swedish-made Moobitalk for £18 (~$29) with an estimated delivery date of December 2014. The hands-free device is hoping to raise £34,000 (~$54,000) on Kickstarter.

Moobitalk is a good idea, but executed poorly. Like many other car-centric devices, GPS’s and DVD players included, Moobitalk requires some setting up before use. So, while the driver is talking there are no hands being used, an incoming call still requires some set up. An ear-attached hands-free device that only requires the push of a button for picking and hanging up calls may be more safe for chatty drivers on the road. In addition, many newer cars come equipped with built-in Bluetooth technology, meaning that pretty soon most hands-free devices will be deemed unnecessary.

Categories
Food and Beverage Sensors/IoT

Smart Coaster measures liquid intake for those who don’t move much

Dehydration is a common problem among adults. No one ever drinks the recommended amount of water each day either due to lack of time or fear of bloating. Riding on the trend of every product imaginable smartening up, the Coaster Talk is a smart coaster. When a glass is placed upon it, it measures your intake of water using an accompanying app. Coaster Talk isn’t only for adults, however, it also works well for babies. By measuring a baby’s milk intake, parents can tell when to feed them and prevent overfeeding them. Coaster Talk will cost backers a $36 AUD (~$32 USD) donation for delivery by January 2015. This product is looking to raise $6,000 AUD (~$5,300 USD).

The design of the Coaster Talk limits its potential. First of all, the idea that one would use the same coaster for every drink is slightly off base. Second of all, it would be difficult to track water intake all throughout the day if leaving the house is involved. Vessyl, a smart drink container, detects what you’re drinking, keeps track of calories, hydration and caffeine intake. It makes more sense because it’s easier to carry around a cup rather than a coaster and has a larger range of uses. If the Coaster Talk can evolve to include more kinds of drinks in its analyses then it may be able to contender with the Vessyl.

Categories
Toys

Bildy is a big toy construction kit for teaching STEM skills

Mounting evidence supports the theory that children need to build in order to develop important spatial, cognitive skills. Many toys are designed to hone just those skills, giving kids the tools they need to build boxes and other small structures. The British-made Bildy blows up this concept, using squares and connectors, allowing kids to build large-scale projects like forts or puppet theaters. Each kit features differently designed boards and patterns to build a variety of castles, houses, forts and even rockets. The board can be decorated either with marker or stickers that come with the kits. For the most basic package, backers can donate £35 (~$55) for estimated delivery in April 2015. Bildy hopes raise £8,000 (~$13,000) on Kickstarter.

Bildy is a great toy for younger kids. Not only does it use larger, chunky connectors difficult to swallow, it also comes with preordained sets for building. This way, kids can put together familiar structures that they can play with when assembly is done. WoodyMac features a similar concept of sets for kids to build. However, it lacks the same imagination that Bildy does and only offers houses and shops instead of forts and rockets. Also, Bildy looks easier to play with after construction is completed. Bildy may not be great for kids who like to think outside of the box, but is just the thing for the younger set of future engineers.

Categories
Cooking

MasterPan has the master plan for cooking a whole meal at once

When cooking a quality meal on the stove, multiple pans are always needed in order to keep everything separated. This results in more energy used, more pans to wash and a cluttered kitchen. The aptly named Master Pan combines the functionality of several different pans into one. The non-stick skillet has five separated sections, one long one in the middle and two on each side. This product is perfect for cooking a variety of delicious items. Safe for the dishwasher and oven, the Master Pan is a great addition for the kitchen. One will cost backers $49 with estimated delivery in December 2014. The Master Pan hopes to cook up $45,000 on Kickstarter.

Other sectioned skillets on the markets have fairly specific functions, like the Lodge Cornbread Skillet which has eight pizza slice looking sections and is intended for cooking cornbread. The Master Pan features differently-sized compartments, making it easier to cook different types of items at once. With the added bonus of saving energy and pans to wash, the Master Pan has many desirable features. The campaign shows several examples of menu items that can be cooked with the pan, including an egg sandwich in progress with bacon in the middle, and eggs, onions and peppers on the sides. Because of the smaller sections, the Master Pan couldn’t really be used for large families, however, it is still a great product for those living alone who don’t want to dirty large pans for small food.

Categories
Home

Cullector creates a small shower reservoir to save water, create aromas

Showering is a catch-22 for those who want to save water. It always takes a minute for the water to heat up, meaning that cold water is sent down the drain unused. The Cullector Ultra Efficient Shower seeks to save water while still giving you a hot refreshing shower. Using a reservoir, the cold water initially spat out by the shower is collected while a small amount is let out through the shower head. This allows the dirty user to feel the temperature of the water from inside the shower, without getting scalded or frozen from head to toe. When the water feels just right, pull the lever for maximum water pressure. The cold water that is initially collected is then sucked back up into the shower head so it doesn’t get wasted. The reservoir can be opened and scented oils added for those who want to smell like flowers, pachouli, or other herbs.

Many shower heads boast water-saving techniques, but none have come up with an idea like this. So much water is wasted waiting for the right temperature. The Cullector has fixed a common problem with a simple solution. In addition, water-saving shower heads usually sacrifice water pressure for conservation, making you spend more time in the shower anyway trying to rinse yourself off. The Cullector uses wasted water to add pressure, not only saving water, but also expediting the entire showering process. Backers can pick up this Australian product for $179 AUD (~$157 USD) with estimated delivery set for January 2015. Cullector hopes to raise $10,000 AUD (~$9,000 USD) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Connected Objects Kids/Babies Lighting

BabySleep is a connected nighttime lamp for kids

Toddlers and small children are notorious for refusing to go to sleep. Even when they can barely keep their eyes open, they insist on staying up, unwilling to miss any action. Babysleep is a clock designed for these types of kids, teaching them when it’s time to go to sleep and wake up. Looking like a little wooden birdhouse, the product has a sun and moon on it. When the sun is lit, it tells the child that they should be getting up. When the moon is lit, it’s time to go to bed. Parents have several options in controlling Babysleep. They can either set times from the product itself, from a computer or even use an accompanying app. Times can be adjusted easily for nap time, traveling or sleepovers. Brightness of the lights as well as colors can also be customized.

The campaign included testimonials from parents claiming that Babysleep has become a fun nightly ritual for their child. It also goes into the detrimental effects of the often erratic sleep patters of terrible two-year-olds. Other children’s alarm clocks focus on different goals, such as the Onaroo Alarm Clock. This product urges kids to stay in bed longer so that their parents can sleep. Babysleep focuses more on the child’s well-being than the parent’s. Backers can donate £99 (~$160) for this Italian product. Babysleep is looking to raise £50,000 (~$80,600) on Kickstarter.

Categories
Cooking

The Egg boiler tells water it can go to shell

We love eating eggs and there are a million ways to prepare them: boiled, sunny side up, scrambled, over easy, and the list goes on. However, eggs are delicate and to get a hard boiled or soft boiled egg, it’s difficult to tell how runny the inside is without cracking the egg open. The Egg is a portable egg-boiler. Set up to four eggs inside, close the lid, and hit the button. When it’s done, you’ll have perfectly soft boiled eggs. The Egg comes with size and temperature monitors for the eggs, runs on ion battery and allows the owner to calibrate how cooked they want their eggs to be, much like a toaster. The Egg can be used anywhere from picnics to camping trips because it doesn’t require water to use. This British product will cost backers £75 (about $121) on Kickstarter with estimated delivery for April 2015. The Egg is looking to raise £50,000 (about $80,000) in its campaign.

While a little steep in price, The Egg offers a cool kind of convenience unthought of before. Not only is it useful that The Egg soft boils eggs to perfection, but it’s also portable, a nice feature. The Krups Egg Cooker boils eggs in a neat, little package as well, but plugs into the wall and requires water. In order to up its game in future models, The Egg may want to consider adding more slots for more eggs. Even so, for quick, easy, albeit expensive egg-cooking, consider donating to The Egg.