Author: Julia Herrick

Categories
Food and Beverage

Synek lets you brew pilsners in your pajamas

editors-choiceThe Premise. Beer straight from the tap is the absolute best. But most decent people don’t have the time or cash flow to hang out at bars all the time. In addition, beer connoisseurs are stuck with whichever beers the bar happens to have on tap. Beer from bottles and cans are okay, but can be expensive. A lot of craft brewers offer their drinkers growlers, but, once opened, they don’t last very long.

The Product. SYNEK is a beer tap system for your home. This device uses SYNEK bags that are vacuum pack and UV protected to store two growler’s worth of beer and keep the liquid fresh for a long time. Using adapter tubes and a tap, anyone can enjoy whichever beer they want right at home. The bags can be filled with bottled beer, canned beer, beer from a another tap or beer straight from the brewery. SYNEK weighs no more than a toaster oven and can go wherever there’s an outlet. 

The Pitch. SYNEK’s Kickstarter campaign begins with a charming and funny video of Steve, the creator, boasting about his product. Bloopers at the end of Steve attempting to grill bananas are especially appreciated. The rest of SYNEK’s campaign is peppered with praise from a number of news television stations, magazines, blogs, companies, and more. Steve also has a collage of the different brands of beer available in SYNEK. This home tap device hopes to raise $250,000 in 30 days.

The Perks. Beer laden backers can get the SYNEK at an early-bird price of $299 or retail price of $349. Higher tiers offer the product in different colors or even in bronze. Reward tiers go up to $10,000 with estimated delivery in March 2015. 

The Potential. Following  in the footsteps of the Keurig and Nespresso coffee pod machines, home draught beer is not an entirely new concept. Other products offer beer from the tap at home, but use different methods to do so. For instance, the Draftmark Tap System comes with large bottles that are loaded into the device and tapped. The different between this and other similar products and the SYNEK is that the SYNEK has unlimited possibilities. It can be filled with any beer that the drinker wishes without being constrained to a small variety. All in all, SYNEK’s portability, style, ease of use and versatility make it the product to beat for those looking to enjoy a great draught beer at home. It will undoubtedly enjoy lots of success on the market.

Categories
Cycling Personal Transportation

Electric Urban Nomad bike cart will push Europeans around

Urban NomadMany people use bicycles as their main mode of transportation. The one thing that bikes seriously lack, however, is the power and cargo space that a car can provide. Introducing the Urban Nomad, a detachable cart for the back of your bike complete with a motor. It provides lots of extra space to cart around groceries and other purchases or cargo. With this extra boost, cyclists can travel up to 25 kph. One of these Belgian products will cost backers living in the EU $900 USD, which isn’t bad for the equivalent of an e-bike conversion kit that comes with a bit of storage. Urban Nomad hopes to raise $20,000 USD on Indiegogo.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Health and Wellness

SandPiper taps an app for early detection of lung issues

The Premise. Lung health can be overlooked in a world obsessed with heart rate, nutrition and blood pressure. Most lung problems are caught only once they’ve developed into serious conditions. Without a doctor present, it can be difficult to monitor lung health to ensure that everything is okay. 

The Product. For lung health on the go, try the SandPiper. This product is a mini spirometer that plugs into any standard smart phone headphone jack to delivery immediate information about one’s lung health. You simply blow into the product and the information is immediate on the accompanying app that provides a full spirometric analysis. It’s made of medical grade ABS and uses an adapted type of wind power for energy. This power comes directly from the user when they go to test their respiratory function. 

The Pitch. SandPiper’s video shows a doctor talking about the realities of poor lung health. A bit obvious, perhaps, but quite effective. It also shows the product in use displaying how easy it is to carry around, facilitate and even wash (just throw it in the dishwasher). The rest of the campaign goes through what exactly the product measures and its other uses, including training your lungs to have better strength and capacity. SandPiper has a huge goal of $275,000 on Indiegogo.

The Perks. Early breathing backers will get the SandPiper for $55 or $64 which includes the product and ability to download the app. Regular price for the product on Indiegogo is $73 with estimated delivery set in December 2014. 

The Potential. Portable spirometers aren’t anything new. One that connects directly to an app on a smartphone is. The Orbit Portable Spirometer connects directly to one’s computer, but doesn’t organize the information on said computer. SandPiper’s app collects and remembers data, making it more effective in tracking lung health and history. The device itself couldn’t be simpler to use, wash or carry making it super convenient. All in all, the SandPiper is just the product for those concerned with their lung health. While it may not be needed by all, it is definitely essential for an older crowd that will appreciate its ease of use. 

Categories
Health and Wellness

Menopod aims to cool off women’s hot flashes

The Premise. Women of menopausal age suffer hot flashes and night sweats before, during and even years after menopause. For anyone who has experience overheating at any point in their lives (so, yes, everyone), they know how extremely uncomfortable it is. Cooling down from a rush of heat can be challenging and especially inconvenient at night.

The Product. The aptly named Menopod is a cooling device for menopausal women (though others might find it useful as well). This little pod uses copper pads that, when activated, lower down to a temperature of around 41°F. It was designed to contour to the back of the neck so that, when applied, it cools the user down. The product itself is white and slightly resembles a computer mouse. For charging, it uses a USB cable that plugs right into any computer or USB wall outlet. 

The Pitch. Menopod’s creators do quite well in the video of keeping it classy while discussing what some may call a touchy subject. Doctors and menopausal women, along with their husbands, discuss the discomforts of hot flashes and the relief they get from Menopod. The product’s tagline “Keeping hot women cool” is especially funny. This cool device from Toronto is looking to raise $35,000 in a two month Indiegogo campaign.

The Perks. For hot early birds, the Menopod costs $145 with a protective case. At a regular price, women can enjoy the pod for $175. All tiers have an estimated delivery date of October 2014. Tiers reach up to $2,600.

The Potential. Other personal cooling devices are out there like mini fans and ice packs. For example, the Coldfront consists of little pads that freeze for 12 hours and then stay cool as you carry them around all day. They’re even recommended by Oprah. However, these are really only good for a single use type of situation and require preparation in the fridge. The Menopod needs only to be charged and then it’s good to go. It also doesn’t involve any ice, fans or freezers making it more convenient than any other option. For hot women, or even athletes, the Menopod is a great option for cooling down.

Categories
Cell Phone Accessories Displays

LEDmeKnow signals the calls you should take

The Premise. Folks these days are busy busy busy with work, family and friends. As a result, we’re constantly attached to our phones, anxious to miss an important call or message. It can be frustrating, however, to feel the need to check the phone all the time. It’s important for people to relax away from their phones and enjoy the company of those they’re with, without worrying about missing anything.

The Product. The LEDmeKnow is a smart LED light box that works with your smartphone. Like a flat Rubik’s Cube, it has a face covered with nine squares in different colors. Each color is programmable to be attached to either certain recipients or certain websites. For instance, the blue light can indicate all Facebook notifications while the red light indicates that a call, e-mail or text is being received from one’s boss. The box is completely customizable for your needs. Each light will remain on until the call, e-mail or notification is dealt with so that one doesn’t have to be constantly staring at it. In addition, it doesn’t need to be close to the phone to work. the LEDmeKnow also features long battery life and only needs to be charged once a month.

The Pitch. LEDmeKnow’s campaign begins with a video of everything wrong with checking your phone at all times. In the dramatization, this guy can’t be bothered to look at his super hot girlfriend because he is too ensconced in his phone. The rest of the campaign features a comparison with a similar product and how the LEDmeKnow is (much) better. This smart cube hopes to raise $30,000 in a 30-day campaign on Kickstarter.

The Perks. Early birds get the box for $55, while punctual and late birds must pay $60 and $65 respectively for the special Kickstarter prices. This Ukranian product promises delivery by November 2014 and offers free shipping to the USA. 

The Potential. As stated in their very own campaign, LEDmeKnow is aware that it isn’t the first product of its kind out there. The L8 SmartLight is very similar to the LEDmeKnow and was successfully funded on Kickstarter in August 2012. According to the campaign, however, the L8 had problems with low battery life, crashing, inability to stay synced with the phone and the product didn’t ship when promised. Also, it displayed each notification for only a few seconds, so the user had to remain glued to the box which rendered it slightly silly. All in all, the LEDmeKnow is a great option for men and women looking to enjoy the moment as the market has plenty of options exclusively for the ladies like the Ringly smart ring. While it may not be particularly useful in public, this product is great for those evening and weekend moments when phones become tiresome to deal with.

Categories
Connected Objects

POM finds things even out of Bluetooth range

POMLosing items is a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to be so stressful. The POM is a Bluetooth GPS tracking chip that attaches to your favorite items and keeps track of them. Its accompanying app displays the last known location of the item along with sound alerts to help you find whatever you lost whether its your laptop, keys or child, much like the super thin TrackR Bravo. POM’s provided peace of mind can’t be measured. One regularly priced POM tag costs $25 on Kickstarter with delivery in March 2015. POM hopes to raise $75,000 in a month-long campaign.

Categories
Automotive Organization

Cargo Net Tie-Down keeps your truck’s load in place

Cargo Net Tie-DownPick-up or road truckers all know that when transporting goods, you need to have a safe way of tying them down. If your cargo goes flying all over the highway it’s game over. Standard securing methods are fairly flimsy and don’t promise the peace of mind desired. The Cargo Net Tie-Down uses a unique grid pattern in its ropes and anchors to securely contain items on a truck or flatbed. One 24”x 36” version of the product will cost backers $75 for delivery in December 2014. The Cargo Net Tie-Down has a huge goal of $335,000 set for its month-long Kickstarter campaign.

Categories
Sports Tools

SpinGen puts its spin on tennis racquet strings

The Premise. The best tennis technique involves not only a firm grip and good racket, but also a spin on the ball itself. This spin allows the ball to move in an arc, which makes it easier to get over the net. It also can push the ball to the opposite side when it hits the net itself. Tightly wound rackets get this spinning effect, but it lasts for only a short time.

The Product. SpinGen is a device that gets the best use out of your tennis racquet. It creates a rougher quality in the strings so that they produce more spin. The product is a plier-like tool that one clamps around the strings in the “sweet spot” of the racket. It roughens some of the strings, while others remain smooth so that the strings themselves can easily slide against each other creating spin and flexibility at the same time. One must simply clamp around the string in question and apply pressure until the string is a bit rougher. 

The Pitch. SpinGen’s campaign video features epic music along with the basic physics involved in the game of tennis. For the rest, the creator displays lots of up close photos of tennis racquets and strings. SpinGen needs to raise $18,000 for a successful run on Kickstarter.

The Perks. One of these tennis-centric clamps goes for $35 with an estimated delivery date of September 2014. Higher reward tiers offer several SpinGens at discounted rates and climb up to $280.

The Potential. SpinGen is one of those products that solves a problem that few know about. There are tennis strings out there that are already rough. The creator argues, however, that it’s best to have a combination of rough and soft strings for the best game. SpinGen is a great way to produce such an effect, but will probably be useful only to pro tennis players. While an interesting product, the SpinGen needs to find a place in the very niche tennis market for success. 

Categories
Fitness Wearables

Arcus is the one fitness ring to rule them all

The Premise. Many fitness-centric devices allow people to track their progress as they exercise. Most are worn on the wrist or arm and give information about time elapsed as well as distance travelled. For feedback on actual technique, most athletes resort to a coach.

The Product. Arcus is a motion analyzer that you wear as a ring. It provides feedback to you via its app about the activity or sport you are engaging in down to information on your tennis stroke or golf swing, for example. Other information provided by Arcus include stroke strength, speed, average accuracy, average time, distances travelled, impact, and the list goes on. There are no real limitations to the kinds of feedback or sport that Arcus is compatible with. This ring charges wirelessly and also comes with a magnetic sphere. The ring-wearer can roll this sphere around, allowing it to properly calibrate and gather information about the environment, making its data more reliable. In addition, wearing it on one’s finger instead of wrist provides more accurate motion information. As an added bonus, this smart little ring also allows lets the wearer control any Bluetooth Smart Ready device in the vicinity. The ring comes in many different colors, patterns and finishes and is also completely waterproof.

The Pitch. The Arcus video cuts right to the chase and explains how the ring works along with how many uses it has. For the remainder of the campaign, the Hungarian creators show examples of Arcus at work along with screenshots of the app. It also goes through the huge number of color options for the ring, testimonials, tech information, product comparisons and the prototyping process. The Kickstarter campaign has a huge $320,000 goal in its 35-day run. 

The Perks. Donation levels for one Arcus plus charger and app range from $149 – $230 based on color and finish. Higher tiers offer multi-packs at heavily discounted rates. Reward tiers climb up to $2,500 and all rings are expected to ship by February 2015. 

The Potential. We’ve seen a slew of smart jewelry on the market recently. The Ringly alerts wearers to calls and texts coming through to their phone. For fitness, the ever-popular FitBit tracks fitness performance with an app, similar to Arcus, along with sleep activity and food intake. The WonderRing tracks heart rate, temperature and sports performance and also allows the wearer to control surrounding electronics. While all of these wearables are certainly very cool, Arcus is the only one that actually provides feedback on technique. The fact that it can help an athlete improve upon their game is invaluable. In addition, its capabilities in working with Bluetooth Smart Ready devices make it especially unique. All in all, for the price and wide range of uses, it is clear that Arcus is the next big thing in smart wearable jewelry. 

Categories
Home

Ecopad is a smart, affordable housing unit

EcopadEvery year, Americans buy homes that they cannot afford. These homes tend to be larger than they need and not all of them are environmentally friendly. Ecopad is a small home of 384 sq. ft that is built to be eco-friendly. It comes with all of the traditional amenities of a typical home and uses solar and wind power for energy. Ecopad’s creators will help Ecopad buyers build the house. Best of all, the Ecopad is extremely affordable, costing only around $45,000. The Indiegogo campaign offers no reward tier featuring the actual Ecopad, but hopes to raise $45,000 with a stretch goal of $100,000.