Most workouts are centered around the idea that muscles must tear in order to become strengthened. This can be hard on the joints and making muscle training long and tedious. TITIN offers muscle tear-free workouts with its weighted shorts, which will join their already successful weighted shirt. The black, sweat-wicking shorts protect the muscles and joints while working out so that they can become stronger. One pair of TITIN shorts costs jacked backers $99 with expected delivery in September 2014. TITIN hopes to raise $100,000 in its 30-day Kickstarter campaign, but should really have a stretch goal after its workout.
Author: Julia Herrick
Increasingly there has been a push for office employees to work standing up instead of sitting down. This is supposed to increase health as well as productivity and we’ve already seen a number of products aimed at this goal, like the Stand Desk and ChairBot. Similarly, the StorkStand is a mobile desk that easily attaches to the back of any office chair. It provides a sturdy surface to work from that can hold up to 50 pounds. The wooden stand features a mobile phone holder and also folds up, making it extremely portable. One StorkStand costs early backers $129 or $149 at a regular price of $179 with estimated delivery in October 2014. This mobile desk hopes to raise $50,000 in a 35-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Premise. When out in the sun, it can be hard to achieve the level of shade needed to read, look at your phone or cool down. Umbrellas are great for several people, but can be large and blow away in the wind. Most opt to use towels or shirts to get the sun off of their faces, but this doesn’t let them do much else.
The Product. ShadyFace is personal shading device that lets you enjoy the sun without squinting too much or getting burned (for at least part of your body). Made out of canvas and aluminum, it is lightweight enough to be portable and swivels so that it can be moved based on the sun’s position. ShadyFace consists of a stand that can rest on the sand, a beach chair or even on a boat. The top part protrudes out to cover the top part of your body when lying down in the sun. It has pockets on the inside as well to hold all of the accessories you may need while sunbathing.
The Pitch. The campaign’s very long video details the product’s inception, prototyping process, features as well as lots of pictures of those without the ShadyFace who would have better luck if they used the ShadyFace. A dermatologist even makes a cameo to testify to the healthful benefits of staying out of direct sunlight, with sunscreen of course, he says. ShadyFace hopes to raise $38,000 in its 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Backers looking to cool their face will have to fork over a cool $139 for one ShadyFace, which includes its own carrying case to ease transport. Higher tiers also offer the ShadyFace Bluetooth speaker which blasts music inside of the ShadyFace space. All tiers have an estimated delivery date of July 2014.
The Potential. ShadyFace won’t provide complete sun protection for your body, but it is definitely useful for those wanting to enjoy easier reading or more comfort in a sunny spot . It seems to work well for using a tablet with a lounge chair in a fully-reclined position or using a laptop if one is lying face down, but isn’t quite tall enough to handle laptop use sitting upright in a lounge chair
ShadyFace’s best features are its portability and ease of use; it likely represents the most shade one can provide in a carryable product. It seems a bit much for an everyday commute to a pool club, but could justify its space in the luggage for a tropical location. In any case, the product is definitely easy to adjust, which may help its success in the summertime accessory market. ShadyFace could be a helper in the battle against the burn in summer 2014.
The Premise. Dog owners know that part of having a pooch entails taking them for several walks daily so that they can do their business. Those up north have trouble with this when the snow and ice settle in for almost half of the year. For dogs that are unwilling to brave the cold, most opt to use smelly, gross pee pads in their house for their pets to go on.
The Product. FIDO stands for the Fully Integrated Dog Omni-Trainer. It is basically a pee pad on steroids. This product features a large grassy square of turf that dogs can “go” on. Underneath the grass there are several other layers designed to guide all the “ick” onto a pee pad below. It comes with drawers that hold the replacement pee pads, the current pad as well as scent strips to cut down on nasty odor. An added treat dispenser helps to reward and train dogs with the FIDO even includes the option for a prerecorded message from the owner. Can smartphone notification be far behind?
The Pitch. The campaign video shows the sibling creators of FIDO taking about how their elderly parents who live in the cold inspired their product. It also shows dogs actually using the product with ease. The rest of the campaign goes into their long prototyping process and details each attachment of FIDO separately. This product hopes to raise $30,000 in a 45-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. FIDO itself will cost backers a donation of $50 with delivery expected in November 2014. Lower reward tiers offer a medication for dogs with hip and joint issues. Reward levels go all the way up to $1,000.
The Potential. FIDO seems like well-considered approach to get your dog to pee inside. The campaign doesn’t say much about number two, but for number one, FIDO is the way to go. Regular old pee pads are kind of disgusting and smelly. Other products in this arena that also feature turf, like the aptly named Tinkle Turf, are extremely messy and collect the urine in a large, sloshy tray making it difficult to clean up. All in all, FIDO gives dogs and owners alike the chance to remain indoors when the snow and ice are too much to bear, or pee on.
In an increasingly wireless world, we still need a whole lot of wires to keep our devices charged. It can be difficult to remember your charging cord at all times and definitely inconvenient when you’re caught without it. Echo Connect aims to fix this problem. This product is a small, silicone keychain that syncs and charges your iPhone, iPod, iPad or even Android phone from anywhere. This British product is a slightly more stylish version of the Chargekey device made with the same idea in mind. Echo Connect costs backers $15 and hopes to raise $50,000 over 60 days on Indiegogo.
Kaleidoscopes have been a favorite toy for visuals buffs for many years. Now, the market has the SlideOScope to offer. It’s a similar device that distorts images, but it works with printed images that you can choose or completely on its own to make abstract images. The SlideOScope works by sliding the parts apart, much like an old-fashioned spyglass. It also doesn’t have to be close to your face to use, so several people can enjoy this toy at once. This product will cost backers $45 with an estimated delivery date of October 2014. SlideOScope hopes to raise $25,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
They always say that it’s not good to leave your devices out in the sun. Now, it’s actually good for them! SunJack harnesses solar power to charge your iPhone or iPad. This black case comes in two wattages, 14 and 20, to charge several devices at once with only a few hours of sun. The SunJack isn’t the first crowdfunded product to harness our favorite star to charge out gadgets, but is definitely among the most powerful of these to date. The 14W version costs $100 and the 20W costs $200. SunJack has a $33,000 goal in a 33-day Kickstarter campaign.
Many people own a memory stick that lives on their key chains to carry around their files with them. The GoKey is like that, but on steroids. This small keychain has memory storage, a USB to charge your iPhone 5, Android or Windows phone, and Bluetooth capabilities to help locate your keys. One drawback is that, due to its small size, you’ll only be able to eek a couple of hours out of its charge. The Stiktag also helps people locate their keys, but this is a much more versatile product. A GoKey costs backers $39 at a base price; the developers seek $40,000 in a 31-day Indiegogo campaign.
Italian eaters and pizza enjoyers usually order pizza quite a bit. The worst part about ordering is trying to talk to your favorite pizza joint over the clanking of pots and pans and angry Italian patrons. The Pizza Bite Button is a magnetic button that, when pushed, orders a preset list of items to your favorite local pizza place. This button even pays automatically as well. Backers must shell out a whopping $100 for this product with an estimated delivery date of September 2014. Lazy pizza eaters may opt to just pick up the phone instead. The Pizza Bite Button hopes to raise $56,000 in its 45-day Indiegogo campaign.
Backpacks that are too big or too small can be a nuisance. To achieve the greatest convenience, most people own more than one backpack so that they always have the right size at hand. The TIOLIpacks battle this problem with detachable compartments. The wearer can add or subtract these compartments based on how much room they need. While a little bulky when full, the TIOLIpack provides an alternative to backpacks with detachable daypacks. One of these packs costs backers $90 for a two-compartment backpack with an August 2014 delivery date. TIOLI hopes to raise $4,400 in its 31-day Kickstarter campaign.