Sometimes the best but hardest part about camping is using a fire to cook food. Dry wood can be difficult to find and cooking over an uneven spit is dangerous. Campfire in a Can solves these problems. It is a compact kit that comes with a vertical burn chamber as well as a grill top to use for cooking. This product burns both coal and wood and evenly distributes heat upward and to the surrounding area to cook food and warm campers at the same time. One Campfire in a Can costs backers $59 at an early price or $68 regularly for delivery in October 2014. Reaching a goal of $80,000 in a two-month campaign on Kickstarter will spell success for this product.
Author: Julia Herrick
The Premise. Coffee can, unfortunately, make or break a meeting, lecture or work event. Without it, it’s hard to focus and getting anything done becomes extremely difficult. While most schools and offices recognize this by providing cafes and coffee carts in house, that cup of java is not always right at hand.
The Product. The Hey Joe Coffee Mug is a convenient way to get that caffeine dosage for hardcore coffee addicts. It looks like any normal travel mug and is tall and black. The mug comes with small cartridges of coffee and with the push of a button will brew a cup of coffee. It is designed so that drinkers are welcome to use their own coffee as well. The temperature can be regulated with the push of the power button and the coffee brewing is powered from a rechargeable battery on the bottom of the mug. Cleaning is easy since the coffee is relatively contained. One simply needs to fill the mug with water and soap and then press brew sans coffee cartridge.
The Pitch. The campaign video really stresses the environmental friendliness of the product. It goes through statistics for how many disposable coffee materials people consume and how the Hey Joe Coffee Mug cuts down on that waste. In addition, the coffee cartridge package comes with seeds so that when the coffee grounds are used, one can plant them to grow into flowers. Hey Joe is looking to raise $20,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Early birdies will receive the travel mug for $39. For $49, backers will receive the mug in black. At the $69 level, backers have the choice of color for their mug and also get 40 coffee cartridges so that they can start brewing. Reward tiers go all the way up to $10,000 with estimated delivery in November 2014.
The Potential. Coffee convenience has become a thing of concern in recent years. The ever-popular Keurig machine has made it possible to brew one cup at a time easily. This type of machine, however, leaves behind little plastic cups of waste. Other products, like the highly touted AeroPress still requires a source for hot water. The Hey Joe Coffee Mug is the first of its kind that can brew on the go and regulate temperature. This product will certainly be a staple for all caffeine addicts with hectic schedules.
Lately, we’ve seen a trend in using products to maximize one’s fitness. Apps and gadgets make it easier to see one’s performance level as well as progress made over time. The PulseOn closely resembles pulse-monitoring watches from companies such as Polar, but requires no chest strap. With this wristband, the heart rate is monitored and that information is sent wirelessly to an accompanying app that helps track progress. In addition, this Finnish gadget keeps a record of fitness intensity, distance, time, and speed for runners. One of these wristbands will cost backers $169 USD. PulseOn hopes to raise $150,000 USD in a two month-long campaign on Indiegogo.
The Premise. Tablets and online games have captured children’s imaginations so much so that kids don’t seem to have fun off screen anymore. It’s difficult for parents to get their children to explore the three-dimensional world while competing with digital wonders.
The Product. Osmo is a unique gaming system that combines the entertainment of an onscreen game with the interaction of physical objects. With three different game choices, kids can hook up Osmo to a recent iPad and play onscreen and off at the same time. The games included focus on tangram puzzles and patterns, drawing shapes, and word scrambles. The accompanying base attachment clips over the iPad’s camera and uses Artificial Intelligence and a built-in mirror to allow the iPad to reflect the child’s movements onscreen in real time. In simpler terms, the iPad shows the child moving the shapes, for example, on its screen and uses this information to determine if the child is on the right track.
The Pitch. Osmo’s simple video shows one, two, and then a bunch of kids flocking to play with the product. The children ooh and ahh at the game and seeing the product in action will elicit the same reaction from viewers. Pictures of children playing with the device in a myriad of ways pepper the rest of the campaign. Testimonials from educators and parents as well as logos from a number of respectable news sources give the product some authority. In addition, Osmo’s campaign exists on its own website as opposed to on a crowd-funding site. For this reason, they have no public goal set on their site. They will be accepting pre-orders for backers until June 22nd.
The Perks. Osmo’s site offers only one reward. For 50% off of the retail price of $99, backers will receive the Osmo kit for only $49 with the base attachment, and Words and Tangram games (iPad not included, obviously). The creators expect to ship by late summer 2014.
The Potential. To put it quite simply, Osmo is really cool. It’s the type of game that would be glimpsed at in a movie set in the future. Not only is it rare that a product for children combines the physical with the digital, but it also uses games that help kids’ minds to learn and grow. The retail price seems extremely reasonable and the pre-order price is an absolute steal. Osmo also lets kids play together, using several two-player modes, cutting down on the type of social isolation that screen games usually cause. All in all, Osmo will enjoy great success on the market, creating fun for children and parents alike.
The problem of rest while in transit is a doozy. For those who have trouble falling asleep on the move, traveling can be extremely uncomfortable. The JQ Headrest aims at helping weary passengers get some rest. It comprises of an adjustable pole that rests on the forehead and chest to let passengers sleep leaning forward. Despite its awkward look, it claims to be effective, much like the Forward Front Face Pillow Cushion. If backers think they can get it past security, they only have to pay $36 (if they live in China and have a lung disease) for delivery in August 2014. Healthy, non-Chinese backers must donate $99. JQ hopes to raise a huge $386,000 goal in a 27-day Kickstarter campaign.
Modern keyboards are functional and get the job done, but lack the pizzazz and flair of old typewriters. The Qwerkywriter is a mechanical keyboard that looks completely vintage, but connects via USB to computers or tablets and even has an integrated tablet stand. Right now, the Qwerkywriter features 84 keys, but the creator has plans to expand that in the future. One of these vintage-looking keyboards will cost backers $289 at an early price or $299 regularly for delivery in August 2015. The Qwerkywriter hopes to raise $90,000 in a month-long Kickstarter campaign.
People function in many different roles throughout their day. Whether they’re doing sports, hanging with friends or going to a meeting, it’s essential to have the right accessories for each persona. The FaceOff messenger bag offers a way to carry the same bag around for different purposes and comes in several different colors. It has several flaps for varied occasions that can be changed out easily. All of your stuff remains in the bag, but the style of the bag changes either with a more formal business flap, a reflective flap for cycling or a utility flap with extra pockets. For $116, backers will receive one bag with two flaps of their choice by September 2014. FaceOff hopes to raise $36,000 in a 35-day Kickstarter campaign.
As more amazing apps come rolling in, tablets have become increasingly useful. Whether you’re navigating, watching a show, leveling a picture, etc. it’s necessary to have your hands free, but simple stands don’t always do the trick. TabletTail attaches to the back of your tablet and suctions or clips to whichever surface you need. It uses different tail styles for if you need the tablet upright, angled to the side or even wrapped around a pole. For $90, backers can enjoy the complete TabletTail package which includes the attachment needed to secure the tablet, the tail to angle it and the clamp to attach it to the appropriate surface with estimated delivery in September 2014. TabletTail hopes to raise $20,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Premise. Cycling is a popular and healthy way to get around, especially in the summertime. The only problem is that bikes get stolen all the time. Many locks are quite heavy and cumbersome to carry around when biking. And most thieves find their way around even the heftiest of locks anyway.
The Product. The HENCH bicycle lock claims resistance to all tampering techniques. It’s comprised of a chain wrapped with Kevlar, fabric and Velcro. Due to its materials, the lock is flexible and lightweight. For storage, it wraps around the bar of the bicycle or folds up making it convenient to tote around.
The Pitch. The campaign video shows the lock being hacked away at by several different tools. While the fabric will rip, the lock remains intact. The UK creator outlines his future plans for Hench in the rest of the campaign. He’s looking to produce the lock in different sizes and colors for different kinds of bicycles. Hench has a £25,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. HENCH only offers one reward tier. For £100, backers will receive one of the first Hench locks from its initial production run. Estimated delivery date is currently set at August 2014.
The Potential. Most riders go for a U-lock like those from Kryptonite. Others choose the heavy chain, but neither of these options uses Kevlar which renders the Hench resistant to bolt cutters. Alternative locks are also difficult to transport. One must either place them in a backpack or basket or use a bracket that attaches to the bike bar. These are typically difficult to install and not that reliable. The Velcro makes for a simple way to secure the lock. All in all, the Hench bike lock, while a little on the pricey side, looks like a great new way to secure your bike while remaining unencumbered by extra weight.
We’ve all been there. When our tablets won’t stand upright we use folded up socks, staples or any bulky item to try to prop them up. The Canadian-made Scööb — not to be confused with Shaggy’s nickname for his favorite dog — alleviates this problem. This plastic product is a tablet stand that is foldable and portable. It has two settings for either viewing or typing on a tablet and comes in several different designs. One plain Scööb costs backers $3 CAD or, for customized design, $4 or $5 CAD by September 2014. For only $6 CAD, Scööb will donate one stand to students from a school in Kenya who have recently received free tablets from Qualcomm. Scööb hopes to raise $5,000 on Kickstarter in its 45-day campaign.