Losing lens caps is a part of any photographer’s life. Some caps attach to cameras with a string, but these can be intrusive when trying to capture a cool shot. The Hack x Tack made out of steel and wood uses magnets keep lens caps from getting lost. This small clip attaches to your clothes or bag and grabs onto the cap with a magnet that adheres to the front of the lens cap. The magnet is entirely device safe and goes for $24 CAD with an estimated delivery date of August 2014. The Toronto-made Hack x Tack has a $25,000 CAD goal over 31 days on Kickstarter.
Author: Julia Herrick
Athletes who enjoy running or cycling outside constantly face the problem of where to put their keys while exercising. They either run the risk of being uncomfortable or of putting their keys in an unsafe place. KeyClip is a small magnetic pouch that holds your key securely while you jog. It then clips directly to your clothing for safekeeping. The strong magnet ensures it will stay put, much like the Nunchuk clip. One of these clips goes for a $20 pledge with an estimated delivery date of October 2014. KeyClip hopes to raise $15,000 in a 45-day stint on Kickstarter.
With flat-panel TVs getting ever thinner and cheaper, it’s no wonder that their audio quality leaves a lot to be desired. Speakers on these televisions are pointed at the ground, so the sound goes down instead of out towards the viewer. The SoundVerter is a simple product that sits directly below flatscreen’s speakers and directs sound towards viewers. This accessory uses the basic rules of acoustics to improve sound quality on televisions, much like Ears does for the Surface. One pair SoundVerters costs $75 with an estimated delivery date of June 2014. This product needs to raise $20,000 in a 60-day Kickstarter campaign.
Ever want to glam up your garage door, but don’t think a flag will do the trick? Try GarageSkins, panels designed to stick to your aluminum garage door to make it look like it’s made out of wood. These overlays use real wood with different finishes and designs to class up your doors. Best of all, they’re easy to install and only take about an hour to apply. A one-car garage system goes for $395 and a two-car system goes for $700 with an estimated delivery date of May 2015. GarageSkins hopes to raise $75,000 in its 45-day Indiegogo run.
The Premise. As technology becomes more and more apart of our lives, tech users become younger and younger. Kids who once had to venture outside to play now can stay in, isolated with their TVs, tablets, phones and other devices.
The Product. ZiBear combines the best of a cuddly toy for your child to play with technology. With a sophisticated inner system of a microcontroller, Bluetooth transmitter and sound detection software, ZiBear is able to speak and interact with children. What the bear says or even sings is controlled via Bluetooth by any parent with an Android or iOS device. This stuffed animal looks like any standard teddy bear with yellow fur. When talking, the bear moves as well to give it a more animated look.
The Pitch. The campaign video shows ZiBear having a conversation with someone and does a good job of showing how an already written script can be fed to the bear line by line. Various apps permeate the rest of the campaign, showing how the bear can read a story, sing a song, read what parents write or even take quizzes with children. ZiBear’s British creators are looking to raise £30,000 in their 50-day Indiegogo campaign.
The Perks. For £45, early backers can enjoy a heavily discounted ZiBear which otherwise goes for £49. Reward tiers reach to £3,750 and only seem to offer the product, with no other elaborate perks. All tiers have free shipping worldwide and estimated delivery dates of September 2014.
The Potential. We’re definitely a long ways from the autonomous toys pictured in the movie A.I. However, robotic bears are definitely beginning to make their way onto the market. Gone are the days of simplistic bears with fake beating hearts or ones that simply say, “I love you.” Now there are toys that can help children with diabetes manage their illness, such as Jerry the Bear, and others that can simply hold a conversation, like Supertoy. The ZiBear is unique in its wide array of capabilities, although a little awkward in its movements. The complete control that parents have over what ZiBear says is certainly appealing, though they shouldn’t let power slip into the hands of a naughty teenager. It’s also interesting that this robot bear can sing and connect to the Internet to answer questions. Children will certainly delight in their fuzzy new friend who can interact with them, while still giving them the satisfaction of technology.
Hot tubs are the perfect remedy for the winter blues. The only problem is that snow and ice on the cover can make those soothing hot dips hard to access. Hot Cover gives backers the chance to get into their tubs with ease. This heated cover uses insulated coils to melt any frosty debris on the tops of hot tubs. All of that heavy snow and ice goes away easily with this battery-operated system. One early Hot Cover costs backers a $199 donation or $299 at a regular price. The Hot Cover needs to raise $20,000 in its 27-day Indiegogo campaign.
The Premise. Most people suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. This can have many causes, but the two leading reasons for back pain are bad posture and immobility. Office workers may find it hard to address either of these problems due to their sedentary jobs.
The Product. ChairBot makes sitting at one’s desk, but staying mobile with good posture, possible. The chair features a moveable seat that splits in two. The seat, either manually or automatically set by a timer, will alternate supporting each leg. What this means, is that the user stands on one leg, while sitting on the other. When the chair switches sides, the person’s weight shifts keeping them in constant motion to avoid injury caused from sitting too much. Good posture is maintained because the person is in a standing position, without actually having to stand.
The Pitch. ChairBot’s campaign video features Simon Hong, its creator, talking about the dangers of sitting too long and why it causes pain. He goes into the scientific reasons for back pain and his explanation is actually interesting and informative. Hong is aiming to raise $100,000 in his 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. Backers looking to avoid back pain need to shell out $2,700 for the ChairBot… ouch. The top two reward tiers come with a crystal etched version of the ChairBot for super chair enthusiasts. Hong also offers a footstool specifically designed to go with his chair for $100. Reward tiers that include the product have an estimated delivery date of November 2014.
The Potential. There have been so many products aimed at fixing the various aches and pains of office worker bees. Most back support systems are attachments or accessories for existing chairs, like PostureME. ChairBot, however, really pushes the envelope with its weight switching capabilities. A couple of drawbacks of this product are that the desks of people using this product need to be at a higher position for standing and that a constantly moving chair may make it difficult to focus on actual work. The price is also very high for a powered chair. Other power or motor chairs go for around the same price or even less. Still, ChairBot’s ergonomic possibilities and well-thought out design make it a great tool for serial sitters in pain.
The Premise. Power cords are almost always dysfunctional. They look messy and can’t fit too many plugs at once. It’s almost impossible to find a power strip that is actually well-made or useful without several big drawbacks.
The Product. TwistVolt provides a “new twist on the power strip”. This clever product twists and turns so that each plug doesn’t sit right next to the other if desired. Using several triangle formations, each outlet is accessible and the strip can be used to its full potential. In addition, fancier versions of the TwistVolt come with USB ports. LED lights are also featured in this product, making it look very cool. Part of the allure of TwistVolt is that it is a power strip that you won’t want to hide.
The Pitch. This is not TwistVolt’s first time at the crowdfunding dance, having had a campaign at Dragon Innovation last November. The video for this revamped power cord shows how it stacks up against its competition and also how many different devices can be plugged into it. The rest of the campaign features the various ways that TwistVolt can be configured, including hexagonal and zigzag shapes. Michael Schroeder, the Bostonian creator of this product, has set a whopping $125,000 goal for this product in his 30-day Kickstarter campaign.
The Perks. For $49, backers can enjoy the TwistVolt standard which includes five outlets and an integrated circuit breaker. One TwistVolt with two USB ports and LED backlit side panels goes for $89. Two other TwistVolt versions with four USB ports and eight USB ports costs backers $99 and $129 respectively. Reward tiers go all the way up to $2,900 with estimated delivery dates of December 2014.
The Potential. Without a doubt, one of the main competitors for the TwistVolt would be the crowdsourced PivotPower by Quirky, that company’s greatest success story. There have also been other solutions to the challenge of wall wart proliferation. Particularly with its LED lighting option, TwistVolt truly looks cool, even with a bunch of cords sticking out of it, and the way it bends makes traveling much easier. While a little expensive particularly for the high-power USB versions, the TwistVolt could make up some of ithave USB s expenses because they customers may not need to buy a USB-to-wall outlet converter. All in all, this product combines the best parts of functionality, design and innovation in an item that we use every single day.
Campers or hikers look for products with various uses to lighten their loads when they’re enjoying the great outdoors. The WorkingStick is more than just a walking aid, it’s a phone-holder, picture-taker, and quad-pod for holding your various camping accoutrements. The stick folds out into a teepee shape, has a screw for digital cameras and a slot to hold phones. Each stick has extender capabilities and can reach up to 60”. Early-bird-watchers will receive the WorkingStick for $55 or for a regular price of $59 with an estimated delivery date of June 2014. WalkingStick has a low $2,000 goal in its 29-day Kickstarter campaign.
People often travel with valuables in their car, but rarely have peace of mind about the safety of their things unless they use a clunky and heavy safe. Doughnut Safe takes advantage of space you already have in your car by turning your spare tire into a strongbox. The 4” x 12” product is reinforced and made out of steel to ensure that your valuables stay safe. One of these hiding-in-plain-sight products with two keys goes for $180 with an estimated delivery date of November 2014. The Doughnut Safe hopes to raise to raise $9,000 on Kickstarter in its 31-day campaign.